m 


//, 


THE 

WILLIAM  R.  PERKINS 

LIBRARY 

OF 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


Rare  Books 


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Sincerely  your  friend, 


LOAAR 


A  CITIZEN    OF   VENUS 


HY 

WILLIAM  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  Ph.  D. 


AUTHOR    OF 


'The  Science  ot  Creation,"  "Phrenology,  Choice  of  Professions, 

Matrimony,'1''    "Great    Secrets    of  Happiness," 

"Health,   Wealth  and  Sunshine,"  Etc. 


ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 

The  Windsor  &  Lewis  Publishing  Co. 

1897 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1897, 

By  Prof.  William  Windsor,  LL.  B.,  Ph.  D., 

In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

All  rights  reserved. 


To  the  Beautiful,  True,  and  Good 
VI  omen 

Who  have  appreciated  my  devotion  to  their  sex, 

and  who  have  cheered  me  with  their  smiles,  encouraged  me  with  their  applause, 

delighted  me  with  their  companionship,  and  sustained  me  with  their  love, 

The  child  of  my  brain,  consecrated  to  the  emancipation  of  woman 

from  the  enthrallment  of  Sex  Slavery, 

Presents    an    Mircllonnlt    (firftlinn. 


preface. 


Twenty  years  of  active  professional  experience  iu  occu- 
pations Imaging  me  into  intimate  touch  with  human  needs  and 
a  comprehension  of  the  difficulties  of  supplying  those  needs 
under  existing  social  conditions,  combined  with  a  nature  yearn- 
ing with  infinite  love  for  humanity,  and  especially  that  part 
of  it  which  is  represented  in  womanhood,  have  produced 
within  my  brain  the  thoughts  which  are  herein  expressed. 
Eight  of  these  years  were  passed  at  the  bar,  in  an  active  prac- 
tice defending  criminals,  where  1  learned  something  of  the 
causes  and  results  of  crime,  and,  most  of  all,  the  monstrous 
injustice  of  the  criminal  code  of  the  entire  civilized  world. 
The  last  twelve  years  have  been  occupied  in  visiting  every 
state  of  the  Union,  in  the  capacity  of  a  lecturer,  teacher  and 
adviser,  disseminating  the  truth  as  I  have  comprehended  it,  and 
listening  with  ears  awakened  by  love  and  controlled  by  con- 
science, to  the  cry  of  the  distressed  in  every  department  of  life. 

The  more  I  have  studied  and  observed,  the  more  I  have 
loved.  With  the  growth  of  love,  came  the  comprehension  of 
the  evil  conditions  under  which  my  beloved  brothers  and  sis- 
ters in  the  race  are  laboring.  To  comprehend  the  conditions 
was  to  discover  the  cause.  When  the  discovery  of  the  cause  of 
crime,  degradation  and  poverty,  disease  and  deformity  was 
made  and  I  began  to  realize  that  I  held  the  key  to  a  higher 
and  better  order  of  things  in  my  grasp,  I  had  no  choice  but  to 
speak  and  to  write.  Had  I  restrained  my  voice  or  my  type- 
writer, I  would  have  sacrificed  my  manhood. 

I  may  offend  many.  So  did  Jesus  and  every  philosopher 
who  has  dared  to  speak  the  truth  against  existing  institutions, 
since  the  world  began.  With  him,  I  will  turn  to  the  scriptures 
and  read  to  the  multitude  as  follows: 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me.  because  he  hath  anointed 
me  to  fireaeh  the  dosjicl  to  the  poor:  lie  hatli  sent  me  to  heal 
the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  delirerance  to  the  captins,  ami 
recovering  of  Hght'to  the  blind,  to  set  <it  liberty  them  that  are 
bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord." 


This  book  is  not  "orthodox."  It  gives  interpretations  of 
passages  of  scripture  that  will  set  the  doctors  of  divinity  by 
the  ears.  The  aforesaid  doctors  will  probably  take  satisfaction 
in  abusing  the  author,  instead  of  answering  the  interpreta- 
tions. I  care  very  little  what  they  do  in  the  premises,  but  I 
have  one  word  to  say  to  my  Christian  friends  who  may  feel 
shocked  at  the  liberties  I  have  taken  with  the  old  romance  of 
the  life  of  Jesus.  It  is  more  reasonable  to  believe  that  he  was 
scientifically  translated  to  Venus,  a  place  known  to  exist,  and 
within  reach  of  our  physical  senses,  than  it  is  to  believe  that 
he  was  miraculously  translated  to  an  unknown  region,  by  un- 
known causes.  To  those  who  may  feel  offended  because  I  re- 
gard him  as  a  man,  and  not  as  a  monster,  as  the  highest  type 
of  a  philosopher,  and  not  as  a  low  type  of  a  god,  I  will  urge 
the  serious  consideration  of  the  fact,  that  by  teaching  the 
mothers  and  fathers  of  this  generation  how  to  produce  off- 
spring which  shall  be  like  him,  I  have  rendered  to  him  the 
most  sincere  worship,  and  the  only  kind  which  he  himself 
would  accept. 

The  central  idea  in  the  work,  is,  that  womanhood,  wherever 
found,  whether  degraded  to  satisfy  the  brutal  passions  of 
ignorant  man,  or  condemned  by  orthodox  philosophy  to  social 
ostracism  for  a  single  mistake,  is  worthy  of  uplifting  help— help 
which  comes  with  healing  in  its  hands,  with  the  caress  of 
compassion  on  its  lip,  with  the  love  of  humanity  in  its  brain. 
I  despise  that  kind  of  philanthropy  which  holds  out  a  crumb 
to  an  erring  woman,  upon  an  icy  finger,  at  the  same  time  cry- 
ing, "I  am  holier  than  thou!"  When  a  woman  errs  she  does 
so  through  misdirected  love.  It  is  only  by  love,  correctly  di- 
rected and  expressed,  that  she  can  be  saved. 

I  sincerely  believe  that  this  work  contains  the  crude  an- 
nouncement of  principles  by  which  a  time  civilization  can  be 
reached.  The  four  great  articles  of  the  code  of  Gallheim  are 
submitted  as  a  statement  of  these  principles,  and  I  anxiously 
await  their  analysis  by  competent  critics.  If  what  I  have 
written  may  be  the  means  of  making  one  human  life  happier, 
if  it  may  give  a  single  impetus  to  the  advancing  wave  of 
civilization,  if  it  may  solve  one  problem  in  the  direction  of 
relieving  aching  hearts  and  throbbing  brains,  the  joy  of  the 
author  will  be  complete. 

Sincerely  your  friend, 

WILIAM  WINDSOR. 


%n  ^cknotoUftgment- 


The  work  contained  in  the  following  pages,  together  with 
the  philosophy  expressed  therein,  is  original  with  the  author, 
with  the  following  exception. 

The  extraordinary  doctrines  in  relation  to  astronomy,  and 
the  fundamental  principles  of  electricity  and  magnetism,  gravi- 
tation and  electrical  receptivity  which  are  declared  by  Loma, 
were  originally  discovered  and  published  by  Mr.  Samuel  T. 
Fowler  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  a  remarkable  little  work  en- 
titled "Genetics,"  and  a  small  pamphlet  entitled,  "The  Recon- 
structionist,"  both  of  which  were  published  by  him  about  the 
year  1883.  In  these  works  the  doctrines  concerning  these  sub- 
jects which  I  have  elaborated  and  put  into  the  mouth  of  Loma, 
were  expressed  in  such  a  condensed  form  that  nearly  every- 
body who  has  attempted  their  study  has  given  it  up  in  disgust 
and  regarded  the  work  as  the  idle  attempts  of  a  lunatic  to  ex- 
press something  of  which  he  knew  nothing.  These  works  were 
produced  by  Mr.  Fowler,  after  incredible  labor,  and  printed 
by  him,  with  a  small  pi'inting  press,  he  himself  setting  the 
type.  It  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  industrial  system  of  this 
age,  that  the  brilliant  and  scholarly  attainments  of  this  prince 
of  philosophers  should  have  been  almost  lost  to  the  world 
through  lack  of  appreciation.  Much  of  his  work  has  perished 
and  he  himself  languished  and  died  in  poverty,  regarded  by 
relatives  who  possessed  more  wealth  of  property  and  less  of 
intelligence  as  an  inferior  member  of  the  family.  The  truth 
is  that  he  possessed  a  mind  so  deep  in  its  philosophical  facul- 
ties, and  went  so  far  beyond  the  confines  of  human  knowl- 
edge, that  few  persons  have  the  ability  to  understand  his  writ- 
ings at  all.  I  confess  that  I  have  pondered  over  some  of  his 
sentences  a  whole  week  before  I  fully  comprehended  their 
tremendous  signficauce.  Only  a  glimpse  of  his  sublime  phil- 
osophy is  given  in  this  work,  but  enough  is  said  to  prove  the 
true  philosophy  of  genesis,  to  show  the  untenableucss  of  the 


coinmouly  accepted  theories  of  the  origin  of  planets  and  stars, 
together  with  the  mistake  which  exists  in  the  Newtonian 
theory  of  gravitation  and  the  absurdities  of  the  commonly 
accepted  theories  of  astronomers  in  relation  to  the  origin  of 
light  and  heat. 

In  this  connection  I  desire  also  to  express  my  obligation  to 
my  personal  friend,  Mr.  Joseph  P.  Steiner  of  Washington,  D. 
C,  who  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  Mr.  Fowler,  for  his  persistent 
efforts  in  getting  me  to  study  the  above  mentioned  works,  and 
for  material  help  in  unraveling  some  of  the  hardest  problems. 

It  is  my  intention  to  develop  this  philosophy  to  the  fullest 
extent  of  my  own  capabilities,,  and  to  this  end  I  have  enlisted 
the  aid  of  many  bright  intelligences  in  discussion  and  criticism 
of  my  presentation  of  it.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  welcome  any 
adverse  criticism  of  any  proposition  embraced  in  the  present 
work  or  those  which  may  follow  it. 

Sincerely  your  friend, 

WILLIAM  WINDSOR. 


r  o  c  in  . 


«Tf|p    (Coming     tiny. 

There  is  coming  a  bright  to-rnorrow. 

And  the  time  is  hastening  on. 
When  the  burdens  of  those  who  sorrow 

Shall  fall  and  a  glad  new  song 
Shall  till  the  sad  world  with  music, 

And  the  listening  air  shall  ring 
With  the  peean  of  love  triumphant 

And  the  end  of  unholy  things. 

No  more  shall  the  usurer  strangle 

The  hope  of  the  toiler  brave, 
No  more  shall  the  haughty  nabob 

Exult  o'er  his  cringing  slave; 
No  more  shall  women  and  children 

In  hovels  and  rags  be  found. 
But  Equal  Rights  shall  exteud  to  all, 

And  virtue  and  peace  abound. 

No  more  shall  the  tongue  be  silenced 

Which  would  speak  for  human  weal; 
No  longer  shall  men  be  licensed 

To  murder  and  rob  and  steal, 
To  murder  the  hapless  victim 

Of  the  thirst  for  poisoned  rum, 
And  steal  from  his  wife  and  children 

Their  birthright  to  their  home. 

No  more  in  the  streets  of  the  city 

Shall  children  be  crying  for  bread. 
And  never  shall  erring  brothers     • 

To  dungeons  and  shackles  be  led. 
And  never  a  gallows  or  prison 

Be  reared  to  insult  the  free  air, 
To  tell  of  the  cruel  unreason, 

Which  we  of  the  present  must  bear. 


Oh,  never  in  that  bright  to-morrow. 

When  the  sunlight  of  love  shall  be  known. 
Shall  woman  in  travail  and  sorrow, 

Maternity  bear  with  a  groan; 
But  reason  and  knowledge  combining. 

With  science  to  bless  and  preserve, 
Shall  crown  her  a  queen  in  her  gladness. 

And  love  as  her  vassal  shall  serve. 

And  never  in  that  fair  morning 

Shall  virtue's  trust  be  betrayed, 
And  never  the  world's  deep  scorning 

Toward  helplessness  be  displayed; 
But  with  help  for  the  erring  sister. 

And  love  for  the  fallen  man, 
The  reign  of  justice  will  soon  reveal 

A  better  and  wiser  plan. 

William  Windsor. 


Contents* 


Page. 

Ciiap.           I.    The  Rescue, 1 

Chap.         II.    A  Remarkable  Guest, 13 

Chap.        III.    The  Comforter, 23 

Chap.         IV.    The  Citizen  of   Venus 35 

Chap.           V.    The  Mission  of  Loina 55 

Chap.        VI.    The  Annunciation, 69 

Chap.       VII.    Myrtle's   First  Lesson 83 

Chap.     VIII.    New  Light  on  the  Bible 99 

Chap.        IX.    An  Unexpected  Meeting 115 

Chap.          X.    The  Philosophy  of  Love,          ....  131 

Chap.        XL    A  Lesson  in  Ethics 149 

Chap.      XII.    Reconciliation, 161 

Chap.     XIII.    The  Code  of  Gallheim 177 

Chap.     XIV.    The  Labor  Problem,     .       .       .       .    •  .       .189 

Chap.       XV.    The  New  Education,          205 

Chap.     XVI.    Social  and  Sexual  Ethics.        .       .       .       .223 

Chap.    XVII.    Commerce  and  Wealth, 245 

Chap.  XVIII.    Immoralities  of  Christianity,         .       .       .  265 

Chap.     XIX.    The  Religion  of  Love, 285 

Chap.      XX.    The  Reign  of  Justice,         ...  .311 

Chap.     XXL    Four  Great  Mistakes  Corrected.     .       .       .  331 

Chap.   XXII.    The  Nativity 359 

Ciiap.  XXIII.    Marriage  under  the  New  Civilization.  363 

Chap.  XXIV.    The  Ascension, 391 

Scientific  Phrenology,         401 


LOMA, 

A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE   RESCUE. 

"One  more  unfortunate! 
Weary  (if  breath, 
Rashly  import unate— " 

"O  God,  forgive  me!" 

A  wail  of  unutterable  sorrow,  a  cry,  a  sob,  two  white 
hands  convulsively  clasped  above  a  head  of  classical 
outline,  from  which  a  wealth  of  disheveled  hair 
streamed  back  and  glistened  in  the  moonlight,  show- 
ing a  golden  sheen  more  beautiful  than  the  rays  which 
for  a  moment  caressed  it, — a  quick  movement  of  a  lithe, 
sinuous  figure,  and  then  the  heavy  splash  of  a  body 
falling  into  the  dark  waters  of  the  lake,  which  seemed 
to  ripple  with  demoniac  laughter  in  exultation  over 
it  s  prey. 

At  the  foot  of  Van  Buren  street  in  the  city  of  Chicago 
a  long  pier  extends  out  into  the  body  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, which  is  the  popular  landing  of  excursion  steam- 
ers.   On  the  night  of  the  third  of  September,  L895,  Dr. 

(i) 


2  LOMA, 

Edward  Bell,  physician  and  scientist,  had  strolled  out 
on  this  pier  for  two  reasons:  first,  because  he  enjoyed 
a  walk  in  solitude  with  the  accompanying  pleasures  of 
moonlight  and  a  lake  breeze;  and,  secondly,  because 
on  this  particular  night,  at  11  o'clock,  an  eclipse  of  the 
moon  took  place,  and  the  doctor,  being  an  enthusiastic 
amateur  astronomer,  wished  to  have  the  privilege  of 
contemplating  the  phenomena  in  a  place  which  was 
sure  to  be  free  from  interruption  at  that  hour.  In  one 
hand  he  carried  a  small  tripod,  and  over  his  shoulders 
was  suspended  a  case,  which  contained  a  three-inch  re- 
fracting telescope.  The  doctor  himself  was  enveloped 
in  a  long  mackintosh  which  might  serve  as  a  protection 
against  too  cool  a  breeze,  which  in  the  latitude  of  Chi- 
cago is  not  uncommon,  and  the  possibility  of  a  shower 
which  certain  dark  clouds  on  the  western  horizon  indi- 
cated as  a  possible  termination  of  his  astronomical 
observations. 

Doctor  Bell  had  reached  the  extreme  outer  edge  of 
the  pier  on  the  eastern  side  and  was  contemplating  the 
splendid  orb  of  the  earth's  satellite,  when  his  attention 
was  arrested  by  the  exclamation  above  noted,  and  turn- 
ing quickly  to  the  other  side  of  the  pier  he  was  just  in 
time  to  see  the  figure  of  a  woman  poise  for  a  moment 
on  the  edge,  and  then  take  the  fatal  plunge.  The  doc- 
tor was  a  man  of  quick  perception,  and  in  the  moment 
which  elapsed  betwTeen  the  exclamation  and  the  splash, 
which  told  that  the  woman  had  accomplished  her  pur- 
pose, his  quick  professional  judgment  had  compre- 
hended the  situation.    Being  accustomed  to  act  prompt- 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  3 

ly  in  emergencies,  his  action  in  this  case  was  superb. 
An  athlete  and  swimmer  by  education,  and  a  lover  of 
mankind  in  general  and  womankind  in  particular,  by 
nature,  it  was  impossible  that  he  should  hesitate.  It 
was  the  work  of  one  movement  of  his  left  arm  to  dis- 
engage himself  from  his  mackintosh  and  telescope, 
which  fell  on  the  pier  unheeded,  and,  while  his  power- 
ful and  graceful  limbs  carried  him  in  two  bounds  to 
the  spot  where  the  woman  stood  a  moment  before,  his 
coat  and  vest  fell  from  his  person,  and  he  poised  him- 
self upon  the  edge  of  the  pier  waiting  for  the  reappear- 
ance of  the  woman  upon  the  surface,  when  he  could 
make  sure  of  her  rescue. 

As  he  stood  in  the  attitude  of  a  diver,  waiting  for  the 
opportune  moment,  an  exclamation  of  astonishment 
escaped  him,  followed  by  another  of  intense  interest. 
As  he  gazed  into  the  water  of  the  lake,  at  that  point 
in  the  shadow  of  the  pier,  he  saw  that  it  was  illumi- 
nated by  a  glow  as  if  a  powerful  arc  light  were  burning 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  water.  In  this  glow  he  plain- 
ly distinguished  the  figure  of  the  woman,  rising  and 
struggling  in  the  water,  but  just  as  he  was  about  to 
dive  after  her,  another  actor  appeared  upon  the  scene. 
This  was  the  perfectly  nude  figure  of  a  man,  darting 
through  the  water  with  the  rapidity  and  accuracy  of  a 
fish.  Indeed,  his  actions  were  so  rapid  that  for  a  mo- 
ment Doctor  Cell  believed  that  the  woman  had  been  at- 
tacked by  some  species  of  shark.  P>ut  when  the  stran- 
ger clasped  her  in  his  arms  and  rose  to  the  surface, 
turning  toward  the  pier  on  which  he  stood,  with  the 


4  LOMA, 

appreciation  which  true  manhood  always  gives  to  the 
brave  action  of  another,  the  doctor  forgot  everything 
in  his  enthusiasm  over  the  rescue.  In  a  moment  he 
was  down  on  the  pier  at  full  length,  stretching  his 
arms  toward  the  rescuer  and  his  quarry  at  the  edge. 

"Bravo!  Bravo  I  Bring  her  along!  Steady.  Brace 
yourself  against  that  post  and  I'll  pull  her  up.  That's 
good.  Excuse  me  a  moment,  ma'am,  until  I  lend  a 
hand  to  our  friend  here.  Now,  sir!  Ah,  here  we  are, 
safe  and  sound.     Now  for  the  patient !" 

The  reactions  of  the  human  mind  are  a  curious  study 
in  themselves.  As  Doctor  Bell  bent  over  the  prostrate 
form  of  the  half-strangled  woman,  who  a  moment  be- 
fore had  courted  death  at  her  own  volition,  she  threw 
her  arms  around  his  neck  in  the  desperation  of  fear  and 
cried  out,  "Oh,  save  me!  save  me!  Don't  let  me  drown!" 

"Bless  you,  my  dear  girl,  we  have  no  such  intention. 
But  I  am  afraid  if  it  had  not  been  for  our  worthy  friend 
here,  you  might  have  succeeded  better — or  worse." 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  his  patient  was  unin- 
jured except  by  fright,  which  promised  nothing  worse 
than  hysterical  demonstrations,  the  doctor  rose  to  his 
feet,  resumed  his  coat  and  vest  and  extended  his 
hand  in  congratulation  to  the  rescuer,  who  had 
remained  in  dignified  contemplation  of  the  situation. 
As  his  hand  met  that  of  the  stranger,  the  physician 
became  conscious  of  a  thrill  which  pervaded  his 
entire  being.  A  delicious  sense  of  warmth  and 
an  indefinable  magnetism  was  conveyed  in  the  touch 
of   the    stranger's    hand,    which    for   a    moment    be- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  5 

wildered  the  senses  of  the  astute  and  learned  scientist. 
It  was  an  experience  which  left  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
impression,  and  for  years  afterward  Doctor  Bell  found 
it  a  profitable  study  to  analyze  his  feelings  of  that 
moment.  It  seemed  to  him  as  though  the  contact  of 
the  hand  conveyed  to  him  a  flash  of  light  in  which  were 
blended  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  at  the  same  time 
he  became  distinctly  conscious  of  a  delicious  sensation 
of  taste,  and  au  exquisite  odor  which  seemed  to  ema- 
nate from  the  body  of  the  stranger.  We  have  already 
remarked  that  the  doctor  was  a  man  of  quick  per- 
ception. His  naturally  acute  faculties  had  been  trained 
by  a  long  course  of  professional  observation,  and  the 
peculiarities  of  this  man,  who  had  so  miraculously 
appeared  in  the  bosom  of  Lake  Michigan,  impressed 
him  profoundly.  Even  in  the  uncertain  light  of  the 
shaded  pier,  on  which  they  were  standing,  the  doctor 
did  not  fail  to  note  that  the  stranger  possessed  a  figure 
of  faultless  proportions,  above  the  medium  height,  sur- 
mounted by  a  massive  head,  made  still  more  imposing 
by  a  crown  of  long,  curly  hair  which  seemed  to  glow 
with  a  peculiar  luminosity  which  to  some  extent  per- 
vaded the  entire  body  of  the  man. 

"By  George,  sir,  that  was  well  done!  It  was  lucky 
for  our  misguided  young  friend  here  that  you  were  just 
where  you  were,  and  so  well  prepared  for  the  emer- 
gency. You  are  the  most  magnificent  swimmer  I  ever 
saw.  But  I  do  not  understand  what  you  were  doing 
with  that  elect  lie  light  under  the  water.  Are  you  a 
professional  diver?" 


6  LOMA, 

And  the  doctor  stepped  to  the  edge  of  the  pier  and 
looked  into  the  water  from  which  the  two  persons  had 
just  emerged.  It  was  dark  and  no  trace  of  the  lu- 
minous glow  was  visible.  Realizing,  however,  that  he 
still  had  duties  to  perform,  the  doctor  lost  no  time  in 
speculation,  but  again  addressed  himself  to  his  patient 
who  was  sitting  upon  the  floor  of  the  pier  sobbing  con- 
vulsively. 

"Come,  my  dear  girl,  cheer  up,"  he  said,  with  that 
finely  modulated  tone  of  sympathetic  encouragement 
which  long  practice  in  dealing  with  unfortunates  of 
every  description  had  made  a  part  of  his  professional 
equipment.  "You  must  let  me  take  you  away  from 
here,  and,  after  you  have  had  proper  attention,  we  will 
take  you  to  your  friends." 

"I  have  no  friends,"  sobbed  the  girl,  as  she  buried 
her  face  in  the  folds  of  her  dress,  which  was  still  drip- 
ping with  the  water  of  the  lake. 

"Tut!  tut!  that's  another  one  of  your  mistakes.  You 
have  two  good  friends,  right  here  on  this  pier,  one  of 
whom  has  risked  his  life  for  you  within  the  last  five 
minutes,  and  thereby  prevented  the  other  from  doing 
the  same  thing.  You  let  me  manage  this  business  for 
you,  for  the  present,  and  I'll  warrant  that  to-morrow 
will  be  one  of  the  brightest  days  of  your  life.  But  you, 
sir,"  said  the  doctor,  turning  to  the  stranger,  "I  would 
like  to  have  you  accompany  me  to  my  residence  with 
this  young  lady,  and  when  we  have  disposed  of  her  in  a 
comfortable  manner,  I  should  like  to  cultivate  your  ac- 
quaintance further." 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  7 

Up  to  this  point  the  stranger  had  not  spoken.  He 
had  watched  the  rapid  and  professional  actions  of  the 
physician  With  dignified  and  active  interest,  but  had 
not  moved  from  the  position  he  had  taken  when  he  had 
first  stepped  upon  the  pier.  Now,  in  answer  to  this 
direct  and  courteous  address,  he  made  an  exceedingly 
graceful  movement  with  both  hands,  a  gesture  which 
expressed  complaisance,  kindness  and  respect,  inclined 
his  head  slightly  forward,  and  said: 

"I  am  at  your  service." 

The  effect  of  his  voice  upon  the  physician  was  as 
startling  as  his  touch  had  been  a  moment  before.  The 
tone  was  deep,  rich  and  musical,  and  could  only  be  com- 
pared to  the  notes  of  perfectly  attuned  bells.  The  doc- 
tor, in  addition  to  his  other  accomplishments,  was  a 
critical  musician,  and  the  quality  of  the  stranger's  voice 
impressed  him  as  deeply  as  his  other  peculiarities  had 
already.  He  delighted  in  adventure,  and  the  fact  that 
he  was  dealing  with  an  extraordinary  person  and  an 
unfortunate  woman,  under  very  peculiar  circumstances, 
gave  him  unusual  zest  in  the  problems  of  the  moment. 
One  thing  which  now  impressed  him  was  the  fact  that 
this  remarkable  man  was  standing  in  the  presence  of 
a  female,  in  a  state  of  perfect  nudity,  and  yet  he  had 
made  no  effort  to  conceal  his  person  or  to  procure  his 
clothing.  On  the  contrary,  he  could  not  have  been  more 
self-possessed  and  dignified  if  he  had  been  arrayed  in 
kingly  robes  in  (he  highest  court  of  royally.  In  fad 
the  superb  dignity  of  the  man  was  Ids  most  noticeable 
characteristic.    The  physician  had  noticed  this,  bin  lie 


8  LOMA, 

was  too  well  versed  in  dealing  with  people  of  peculiar 
habits  to  allow  it  to  influence  his  conduct.  Turning  to 
the  stranger,  he  said: 

"We  must  take  this  girl  to  my  house  at  once,  where 
she  can  have  attention.  If  you  will  get  into  your  cloth- 
ing as  quickly  as  possible,  we  will  go  to  the  end  of  the 
pier  where  we  can  get  a  cab." 

"I  have  no  clothing,"  said  the  stranger  quietly,  but  in 
a  tone  which  carried  the  conviction  that  he  meant  what 
he  said. 

Doctor  Bell  regarded  the  man  fixedly  for  a  moment 
and  then  muttered,  "The  deuce  you  haven't!  Well, 
this  is  no  time  to  ask  questions.  Here,  you  can  wear 
my  mackintosh,  and  when  we  have  gotten  to  my  house 
it  will  be  time  enough  to  arrange  matters.  Jiy  George! 
I  have  broken  my  telescope,  but  I  guess  I  won't  be 
likely  to  be  interested  in  any  eclipse  to-night.  There, 
put  this  mackintosh  on  aud  nobody  will  know  or  care, 
at  this  time  of  night,  whether  you  are  dressed  or  not. 
Now,  my  dear,  we  will  take  you  to  better  quarters,  and 
I  will  introduce  you  to  the  best  woman  on  earth,  in  the 
person  of  my  mother,  who  will  see  that  you  are  com- 
fortable in  both  mind  and  body,  in  short  order." 

Slipping  his  telescope  case  once  more  orer  his 
shoulder,  with  a  rattle  which  told  of  broken  glass  in 
the  interior,  and  taking  the  tripod  in  one  hand,  the 
doctor  supported  the  light  figure  of  the  girl  with  one 
arm,  while  the  stranger  supported  her  on  the  other 
side.  As  for  the  girl  herself,  she  allowed  the  two  men 
to  carry  her  unresistingly,  and  barely  supported  herself 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  9 

011  her  feet.  The  extreme  1  elision  of  her  nervous  sys- 
tem had  given  way,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  collapse 
which  almost  amounted  to  stupor. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  pier,  the  doctor  hailed  a 
cab,  and  placing  his  guests  within  spoke  to  the  driver: 

"Drive  quickly  to  No. ,  Michigan  avenue." 

The  man  bowed  and  closed  the  door  of  the  cab  after 
the  doctor,  who  had  stepped  lightly  inside  as  he  gave 
the  order.  In  a  moment  they  were  rattling  over  the 
pavement,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  cab  stopped  before 
one  of  the  elegant  residences  which  line  the  popular 
thoroughfare  which  the  doctor  had  mentioned. 

Handing  the  driver  his  fee,  the  doctor  carried  his 
patient  up  the  broad  flight  of  stone  steps  which  led  to 
the  front  entrance.  Touching  a  button,  the  call  was 
instantly  answered  by  a  young  maid  servant,  whose 
face  expressed  no  surprise  as  she  admitted  the  doctor 
and  his  companions. 

"Has  your  mistress  retired?"  asked  the  doctor,  in  a 
low  tone. 

"Yes,  sir;  she  has  been  asleep  about  an  hour." 

"Call  her  quietly,  and  tell  her  that  an  emergency 
case  requires  her  attention,  and  then  attend  me  in  the 
east  bedroom." 

Turning  to  the  stranger,  the  doctor  said,  with  easy 
courtesy: 

"My  dear  sir,  if  you  will  enter  this  room  on  the  left, 
you  will  find  every  provision  for  your  temporary  com- 
fort, and  in  the  meantime  you  will  excuse  me,  while  I 
attend  to  the  wants  of  the  one  in  which  we  have  a  com- 


10  LOMA, 

mon  interest.     As  soon  as  she  is  provided  for,  I  will 
join  you." 

The  stranger  bowed  and  entered  the  apartment  indi- 
cated. The  doctor  closed  the  door,  and  picking  up  the 
figure  of  the  girl  as  though  she  were  an  infant,  bore  her 
up  a  broad  stairway  into  a  spacious  apartment  on  the 
second  floor,  where  he  was  joined  by  the  maid,  who  re- 
ported that  her  mistress  would  attend  at  once.  The 
doctor  deposited  his  patient  upon  a  divan,  and  said : 

"Undress  this  lady  and  place  her  in  bed.  Give  her 
a  sponge  bath  and  one  ounce  of  this  cordial,  and  leave 
the  rest  to  my  mother." 

Having  thus  disposed  of  the  case,  the  physician 
turned  and  left  the  room.  At  the  threshold  he  en- 
countered a  sweet-faced,  elderly  lady,  in  a  lace  cap  and 
satin  wrapper,  who  greeted  him  with  a  peculiar  smile. 

"I  thought  you  went  out  to  view  the  eclipse,  Edward," 
she  said. 

"So  I  did,  mother  dear,  but  there  are  eclipses  and 
eclipses.  Sometimes  it  is  the  moon,  and  sometimes  a 
human  life  which  is  eclipsed.  Let  us  hope  that  in  the 
present  cases  both  are  only  temporary.  Come  away  a 
moment  and  let  me  tell  you." 

In  a  few  brief  words  the  doctor  acquainted  his  moth- 
er with  the  facts  which  are  already  known  to  the  read- 
er. At  the  conclusion  of  his  statement,  his  mother  took 
his  face  in  her  hands  and  imprinted  a  kiss  upon  his 
bearded  lips. 

"This  adventure  is 'very  characteristic  of  my  boy," 
she  said,  with  motherly  pride.     "I  will  see  that  the 


A  CITIZEN  OK  VENUS.  11 

dear  girl  is  comforted,  while  you  attend  to  the  cour- 
tesies that  are  due  to  your  extraordinary  guest  in  the 
mackintosh."  Then  a  mutual  smile  was  exchanged  be- 
tween the  mother  and  son,  a  smile  suggestive  of  every- 
thing that  is  good,  benevolent,  helpful  and  sympathetic. 
A  keen  observer  would  have  noticed  that  there  was  a 
remarkable  similarity  in  the  expression  of  the  two  faces, 
and  that  the  son  had  inherited  all  of  the  mental  and 
physical  peculiarities  of  the  mother.  And  as  the  good 
lady  proceeded  to  the  guest  chamber,  the  doctor  re- 
turned to  the  library,  where  the  stranger  awaited  him, 
conscious  that  his  patient  would  receive  every  minis- 
tration which  human  sympathy  could  devise,  when 
prompted  by  the  purest  and  best  of  motives. 


CHAPTER   II. 


A   REMARKABLE   GUEST. 

"Be  not  forgetful  to  entertain  strangers;  for  thereby  some 
have  entertained  angels  unawares." 

When  Doctor  Bell  returned  to  the  library,  into  which 
he  had  ushered  his  strange  guest,  he  found  that  gentle- 
man still  arrayed  in  his  mackintosh,  reclining  in  one 
of  the  easy  chairs,  and  intently  regarding  a  handsome 
oil  painting  which  was  suspended  above  the  mantel. 
On  the  entrance  of  the  doctor,  however,  he  arose  and 
made  one  of  his  characteristic  gestures,  which,  being 
executed  with  inimitable  grace  and  dignity,  expressed 
so  much  of  genuine  sincerity,  friendship  and  gracious* 
ness  that  it  carried  a  conviction  of  the  excellent  breed- 
ing of  the  man  and  inspired  a  confidence  which  was 
irresistible.  Doctor  Bell  was  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
word,  a  man  of  the  world,  and  prided  himself  on  his 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  his  professional  ex- 
perience had  sharpened  his  natural  perception  to  an 
acute  degree.  He  realized  that  he  was  dealing  with 
an  extraordinary  character,  and  yet  it  was  with  the 
utmost  confidence  in  the  integrity  of  his  guest  that  he 
addressed  him. 

"After  the  remarkable  occurrence  of  this  evening,  sir, 
in  which  we  have  both  played  a  part,  it  may  not  be 

(13) 


14  LOMA, 

presumptuous  if  I  express  the  fact  that  i  am  very  much 
interested  in  you.  In  the  excitement  of  the  adventure, 
we  have  neglected  to  introduce  ourselves.  I  am  Dr. 
Edward  Bell,  and  the  house  which  you  honor  with  your 
presence  is  my  residence." 

The  stranger,  in  acknowledgment,  extended  both 
hands  to  the  doctor,  who  clasped  them  in  his  own. 
Again  that  wonderful  thrill  of  magnetic  effect  passed 
through  the  doctor's  frame,  and  the  sensations  of  ex- 
quisite odor  and  taste  assailed  his  senses.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  distinctly  conscious  of  the  luminous  glow 
which  had  attracted  his  attention  on  the  pier  and 
which  he  was  now  certain  was  an  emanation  from 
the  remarkable  person  of  his  guest. 

"Your  name  is  very'familiar  to  me,  doctor,  although 
this  is  the  first  time  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  a  per- 
sonal meeting.  But  I  have  looked  forward  to  this  mo- 
ment witb  great  happiness  for  many  years.  My  name 
is  Loma." 

"Of  Chicago?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  Loma,  with  a  smile  of  exquisite  di- 
plomacy, "of  quite  another  country.  You  will  excuse 
me,  doctor,  if  I  postpone  naming  my  residence  to  you 
to-night.  I  am  exhausted  with  the  fatigue  of  a  long 
journey,  but  to-morrow,  after  a  good  night's  sleep  and 
the  enjoyment  of  your  hospitality,  I  shall  be  able  to  give 
you  a  better  account  of  myself.  In  the  meantime  let 
me  ask,«  is  there  any  reason  why  I  should  retain  the 
use  of  this  garment?" 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  15 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  the  doctor;  "  in  lliis  room  we 
will  not  be  disturbed,  and  I  beg  that  you  will  make 
yourself  perfectly  at  home.  This  bedroom  is  at  your 
disposal,"  he  continued,  opening  the  door  of  a  sumptu- 
ously furnished  chamber  adjoining  the  library,  "and 
here  you  will  find  a  bathroom  and  all  of  the  conven- 
iences you  require.  In  the  morning  I  will  place  my 
valet  and  my  wardrobe  at  your  disposal,  for  temporary 
purposes,  and  after  that  your  requirements  in  the  mat- 
ter of  clothing  will  be  attended  to.  To-night  you  may 
wear  this  robe,"  talcing  an  elegantly  embroidered  gar- 
ment of  the  finest  silk  from  a  closet,  "and  while  you  are 
bathing,  permit  me  to  order  some  refreshments.  What 
would  you  like  to  eat?" 

"If  it  is  convenient,  doctor,  a  bunch  of  grapes  and  a 
glass  of  cold  water  will  be  all  I  require  to-night."' 

"I  will  get  them  myself,  so  that  our  privacy  will  not 
be  disturbed,"  said  the  doctor;  and  leaving  the  room  he 
immediately  returned,  bearing  a  large  silver  basket 
filled  with  the  choicest  Concord  grapes  and  a  pitcher  of 
water. 

"These  grapes,"  said  the  doctor,  with  the  pride  of  a 
horticulturist,  "were  raised  on  my  farm,  near  Elgin,  in 
this  state,  and  this  wrater  is  shipped  to  me  daily  from 
the  famous  Waukesha  springs  in  Wisconsin.  I  hope 
you  will  find  both  as  refreshing  as  the  one  is  luscious 
and  the  other  is  pure." 

Placing  the  fruit  and  water  upon  a  table  in  the  center 
of  the  room  he  had  just  assigned  to  his  guest,  the  doc- 
tor returned  to  the  library,  where  Loina,  who  had  di- 


16  LOMA, 

vested  himself  of  the  mackintosh,  was  reclining  at  his 
ease  upon  one  of  the  luxurious  divans  which  adorned 
the  room.  For  the  first  time  the  doctor  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  critically  inspecting  the  personality  of  the  re 
markable  man  he  was  entertaining. 

Loma,  reclining  in  an  easy  attitude  upon  the  divan, 
presented  a  picture  of  classic  beauty.  We  have  al- 
ready noted  that  his  figure  was  of  faultless  proportions, 
but  in  the  electric  light  of  the  library  the  doctor,  who 
was  an  enthusiastic  student  of  physical  culture,  noted 
his  splendid  development  with  admiration  he  could  not 
conceal.     Loma  noticed  it,  and  said  with  a  smile: 

"I  know  you  consider  me  something  of  a  curiosity, 
doctor,  and  I  will  not  consider  it  an  impertinence  if 
you  subject  me  to  as  much  scrutiny  as  your  professional 
curiosity  may  dictate.  To-morrow,  after  I  have  rested, 
I  will  also  aid  you  with  as  much  information  as  I  my- 
self possess." 

Loma  was  indeed  a  magnificent  specimen  of  man- 
hood. He  was  evidently  about  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
and  no  trace  of  decay  or  breaking  down  of  the  tissues 
was  perceptible  in  any  part  of  his  person.  His  height 
was  within  a  fraction  of  an  inch  of  six  feet,  and  his 
weight  about  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds.  His 
build  was  athletic,  and  the  rounded  perfection  of  every 
muscle  gave  evidence  of  systematic  and  intelligent  cul 
ture.  His  head,  however,  was  the  most  remarkable 
part  of  his  person,  and  while  the  general  result  of  his 
appearance  was  that  of  a  graceful  and  powerful  man, 
yet  it  was  his  head  which  impressed  the  observer  with 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  !7 

his  kingly  dignity.  The  features  of  the  face  were  har- 
monious and  classic,  the  mouth,  which  was  only  par- 
tially concealed  by  a  full  beard,  especially  possessing 
curves  which  gave  it  a  remarkable  sweetness  ami  versa1 
tility  of  expression.  The  lips  were  full  and  red,  the 
nose  straight  and  Grecian  in  outline;  the  eves  were 
large,  blue  in  color  and  wide  apart,  and  above  these 
rose  a  broad,  high  forehead,  across  which  the  skin  was 
tightly  and  smoothly  drawn,  and  the  doctor  noticed 
that  it  shone  like  polished  ivory.  The  rest  of  his  head 
was  crowned  with  a  wealth  of  dark  brown,  curly  hair, 
which  hung  down  to  his  shoulders  and  gave  him  a 
peculiar  graciousness  of  appearance,  and  the  doctor 
noticed  that  this  particular  feature  was  never  without 
some  traces  of  the  magnetic  glow  which  was  one  of  the 
remarkable  peculiarities  of  the  man.  The  head  was 
wide  at  the  base  of  the  brain,  and  the  whole  expression 
of  the  personality  was  that  of  great  force  and  courage, 
held  under  complete  control.  Being  an  ardent  devotee 
of  Phrenology,  the  doctor's  curiosity  was  not  satisfied 
until  he  had  taken  the  measurements  of  Loma's  head 
with  a  tape  measure  which  he  took  from  his  vest  pocket. 
Adjusting  the  tape  to  the  base  of  the  brain,  he  noted 
that  it  measured  twenty-four  inches  in  basilar  circum- 
ference, and  a  measurement  across  the  crown  registered 
sixteen  inches.  But  what  most  impressed  him  was  the 
fact  that  the  head  was  complete.  Passing  his  hand 
from  the  altitudinous  crown  to  the  massive  occiput, 
and  comparing  the  frontal  developments  with  l  he  re- 
mainder, the  doctor  was  obliged  to  confess  to  himself 
2 


18  LOMA, 

that  lie  could  not  say  that  any  part  of  the  head  was 
deficient  in  development. 

Loma  submitted  to  this  critical  inspection  with  smil- 
ing complaisance.     At  its  conclusion,  the  doctor  said: 

"You  are  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  manhood  it 
has  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet.  But  you  are  tired 
and  need  rest,  so  I  will  give  you  my  conclusions,  at 
length,  at  another  time.  Good  night,  sir,  and  may  your 
sleep  be  as  pleasant  and  restful  as  the  events  of  this 
night  have  been  exciting.  When  you  awake  in  the 
morning,  and  are  ready  to  communicate  with  me,  touch 
the  bell  button  in  your  room,  and  I  will  have  the  serv- 
ant summon  me." 

Loma  had  stepped  into  the  bedroom  and  now  stood 
facing  the  door  looking  into  the  library.  The  doctor, 
looking  toward  him,  saw  him  make  another  of  his  im- 
pressive gestures,  saw  the  room  illuminated  for  a  sec- 
ond with  the  warm  light  of  the  magnetic  glow,  heard 
him  pronounce  the  words  "Good  night,"  in  his  peculiar, 
rich,  bell-like  voice,  and  then  the  door  was  softly  closed 
and  he  was  alone. 

Left  to  himself,  the  doctor  placed  himself  in  one  of 
the  easy  chairs  and  became  absorbed  in  deep  medita- 
tion. The  events  of  the  evening  had  all  been  of  such 
an  extraordinary  character  that  he  was  somewhat  be- 
wildered. The  attempted  suicide  and  his  benevolent 
attentions  to  an  unfortunate  woman,  he  would  have 
treated  as  very  ordinary  occurrences,  for  Doctor  Bell 
was  a  philanthropist  of  the  highest  type,  and  hundreds 
of  unfortunate  men  and  women  in  the  great  city  in 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


19 


which  he  resided  spoke  his  name  with  reverence  and 
gratitude.  But  the  exciting  circumstances  of  the  res- 
cue and  the  remarkable  character  of  the  rescuer  im- 
pressed  him  profoundly.  Had  he  been  a  believer  in 
supernatural  agencies,  he  might  well  have  considered 
his  guest  in  the  light  of  an  angel.  But  Doctor  Bell  was 
a  philosopher  and  a  reasoner,  and  long  training  in 
scientific  habits  of  thought  had  enabled  him  to  look 
for  a  natural  cause  for  every  phenomenon,  no  matter 
how  surprising  its  manifestations  might  be.  He  had 
inherited  his  scientific  proclivities  through  several  an- 
cestors. His  mother  was  a  physician  and  the  daughter 
of  a  celebrated  surgeon.  His  father  had  amassed  a 
handsome  fortune  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Chicago, 
and  had  died  just  as  his  son  had  obtained  his  diploma. 
Under  the  wise  direction  and  assistance  of  his  mother, 
Doctor  Bell  had,  in  a  few  short  years,  reached  the  goal 
of  his  ambition,  and  found  himself  in  the  possession  of 
one  of  the  most  lucrative  practices  in  the  metropolis 
of  the  West.  The  rise  in  Chicago  real  estate  had  more 
than  quadrupled  the  fortune  left  by  his  father,  and  at 
the  time  of  our  narrative  begins  the  young  physician,  at 
thirty  years  of  age,  found  himself  in  possession  of 
ample  means  to  gratify  all  of  his  ambitious  desires,  as 
far  as  money,  property  and  social  position  could  aid 
him.  Unlike  most  rich,  young  and  ambitious  men,  his 
prosperity  had  not  spoiled  him.  In  early  youth  his 
mother  had  instilled  into  his  mind  the  broadest  princi- 
ples of  humanitarianism,  justice  and  philanthropy,  and 

she  had   lived   to   see  these   principles   bear   the   sweet 


20  LOMA, 

fruits  of  a  multitude  of  noble  deeds.  She  had,  also, 
from  the  moment  of  his  conception,  impressed  him  with 
a  love  for  knowledge.  In  this,  also,  she  was  not  disap- 
pointed. He  had  distinguished  himself  in  college,  was 
the  valedictorian  of  his  class  at  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan, and  received  first  honors  at  Rush  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  in  which  he  was  now  an  honored  member  of 
the  faculty.  He  had  distinguished  himself  in  the  med- 
ical societies  of  the  state,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  highest  authorities  in  all  departments  of  medical 
jurisprudence,  to  which  he  had  devoted  special  atten- 
tion. He  was  well  versed  in  the  intricacies  of  Latin 
and  Greek,  and  spoke  English,  French  and  German 
with  equal  facility. 

In  personal  appearance,  Doctor  Bell  was  univer- 
sally considered  a  handsome  man.  In  height  he 
was  slightly  above  the  medium;  his  shoulders  were 
broad,  his  body  compact,  and  indicative  of  excellent 
vitality  and  endurance.  His  head  was  large  and  well 
poised  upon  a  strong,  thick  neck.  A  careful  observer 
would  have  seen  that  it  was  unusually  wide  between 
the  ears  and  in  the  region  back  of  the  ears.  His  fore- 
head was  smooth  and  symmetrical  in  outline  and  wide 
at  the  top.  His  hair  was  cut  short  and  was  of  a  rich 
chestnut  brown,  and  his  full  and  well-trimmed  beard 
was  nearly  of  the  same  color,  but  somewhat  more 
tinged  with  red.  His  eyes  were  brown,  and  were 
shaded  by  very  large  and  prominent  eyebrows,  and 
when  he  looked  at  a  person  there  was  a  peculiar  steadi- 
ness and  penetration  in  his  gaze,  which  was  sometimes 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  21 

uncomfortably  impressive,  unless  the  person  was  well 
able  to  stand  the  scrutiny.  His  voice  was  pleasant, 
sympathetic  and  mellow,  but  it  possessed  a  quality 
which  conveyed  the  impression  that  it  could  be  harsh 
if  occasion  demanded.  Altogether,  Doctor  Bell  was  a 
very  complete  specimen  of  the  highest  type  of  Ameri- 
can, nineteenth  century  civilization. 

He  remained  in  meditation  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  having  reviewed  all  of  the  circumstances 
of  the  evening's  adventure,  and  not  being  able  to  satis- 
factorily account  for  all  of  the  peculiarities  of  his  guest, 
like  the  philosopher  that  he  was,  he  dismissed  the  mat- 
ter from  his  mind,  for  the  time  being,  and  seeking  his 
bedroom  was  soon  lost  in  the  delicious  slumber  which 
conies  to  the  innocent,  rirtuous  and  just  man,  who 
reposes  in  the  consciousness  of  having  performed  his 
whole  duty  for  that  day. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE  COMFORTER. 

"For  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in.  *  *  *  Verily  I 
say  unto  you.  inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

When  Mrs.  Bell  entered  the  room  into  which  her  son 
had  carried  his  patient,  she  found  the  well-trained 
maid  servant  had  undressed  the  young-  woman  and  was 
engaged  in  administering  the  sponge  bath  which  the 
doctor  had  prescribed.  The  patient  lay  upon  the  lux- 
uriously furnished  bed  with  her  eyes  closed,  and  evi- 
dently submitted  to  the  kind  ministrations  of  the  at- 
tendant in  a  condition  of  extreme  collapse  of  all  will 
power.  When  the  maid  had  finished  the  bath  and  had 
administered  the  cordial,  which  the  woman  received 
without  opening  her  eyes,  she  discreetly  and  noise- 
lessly withdrew  and  left  Mrs.  Bell  by  the  bedside. 

Fifty  years  of  experience  in  human  affairs,  and  a 
complete  medical  education,  had  made  Mrs.  Bell  fully 
equal  to  any  occasion  where  combined  skill  and  sym- 
pathy w7ere  required.  In  an  eminent  degree  she  blended 
the  qualities  of  an  educated  and  practical  philanthropist 
with  those  of  an  affectionate  mother  and  sincere  friend. 
The  unfortunate  and  the  oppressed  found  in  her  a  ready 
assistant,  but  she  was  seldom  imposed  upon  by  those 

(23) 


24  »  LOMA, 

who  appealed  to  her  from  unworthy  motives.  Her 
eyes  were  large,  brown,  and  handsome  in  expression, 
with  a  peculiar  questioning  look  in  them  at  times, 
which  seemed  to  compel  a  truthful  answer.  Wavy 
brown  hair,  slightly  tinged  with  gray,  was  combed  back 
from  a  forehead  which  was  very  high  for  its  breadth. 
In  fact,  her  forehead  would  have  been  called  narrow  by 
a  superficial  observer,  but  the  remarkable  altitude  was 
largely  responsible  for  this  impression.  Her  face  was 
open,  frank  and  sincere,  but  there  were  traces  of  suffer- 
ing in  the  lines  of  the  mouth,  as  there  was  ample  evi- 
dence of  fortitude  to  bear  it  and  resolution  to  conquer 
difficulties. 

Such  was  the  face  which  the  unfortunate  woman 
beheld  when  she  opened  her  eyes,  after  a  cool  hand  had 
been  laid  upon  her  forehead  and  a  sweet  and  sympa- 
thetic voice  had  spoken : 

"My  dear  child,  how  do  you  feel  now  ?" 

For  an  answer,  the  eyes  closed  again,  and  a  tear  fell 
from  each  upon  the  pillow.  The  sensitive  lips  quivered 
and  sobs  shook  the  slight  frame  under  the  rich  folds 
of  the  elegant  embroidered  counterpane.  Mrs.  Bell, 
looking  into  the  face  of  her  charge,  saw  that  she  was 
young  and  beautiful.  The  face  was  oval  and  harmoni- 
ous in  its  outline,  and  the  pillow  was  covered  with  a 
wealth  of  golden  hair  which  formed  an  exquisite  frame 
for  the  lovely  picture.  A  hand  which  would  have  in- 
spired a  sculptor  lay  motionless  outside  the  cover.  It 
was  small,  and  the  fingers  were  tapering,  and  the  skin 
was  as  fine  grained  as  silk.     Yearning  with  infinite 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  25 

compassion  toward  the  unhappy  girl,  the  philanthro- 
pist took  the  hand  and,  holding  it  tenderly,  bent 
over  and  impressed  a  motherly  kiss  upon  the  feverish 
brow  of  her  charge.  Again  the  young  girl  sobbed  con- 
vulsively. 

"There,  my  dear  child,  do  not  grieve  so.  You  have 
had  trouble,  and  it  has  been  hard  to  bear,  but  it  will 
all  come  right,  if  you  will  be  brave  and  hopeful.  You 
are  with  friends  now  who  will  help  you  out  of  all 
difficulties,  and  I  want  you  to  realize  it  and  compose 
yourself." 

"Oh,  madam,  you  have  all  been  so  kind  to  me.  May 
God  bless  you  all  for  your  goodness;  but  I  must  go 
away,  I  cannot  stay  here/' 

"My  poor  child,  you  are  hysterical.  You  must  com- 
pose yourself  and  let  me  help  you  out  of  all  your 
troubles."  And  again  the  good  woman  pressed  a  kiss 
upon  the  brow  of  the  sobbing  girl. 

"Oh,  madam,  do  not  kiss  me.  You  do  not  know 
what  I  am  or  you  would  not  touch  me  with  your  lips. 
You  would  turn  away  from  me  if  you  knew,  as  they 
all  did.  Oh,  why  did  I  not  die  in  the  lake.  Oh,  let 
me  go  away  and  die.  It  is  the  only  place  for  such  as  I. 
Oh,  I  want  to  go  to  my  mother.  But  she  is  in  heaven, 
and  they  will  not  let  me  come  there,  either.  Oh,  God! 
why  was  I  born?" 

The  experienced  perception  of  Mrs.  Bell  did  not  mid 
any  more  elaborate  explanation  of  the  case  before  her. 
But  as  the  unhappy  and  desperate  girl  buried  her  face 
in  the  pillow  and  sobbed  out  her  grief,  an  observer 


26  LOMA, 

would  have  been  interested  in  the  expressions  which 
played  over  the  face  of  the  philanthropist.  First,  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  for  a  moment  her  hand 
passed  caressingly  and  soothingly  over  the  head  of  the 
girl,  while  she  softly  murmured,  "Poor,  innocent,  mis- 
guided, persecuted  darling."  Suddenly  she  clasped  her 
hands  and  rose  from  her  seat  and  for  a  few  moments 
walked  the  room  rapidly,  while  an  expression  of  fierce, 
energetic  resolution  pervaded  her  entire  manner.  Then 
she  paused,  and  raising  her  eyes  to  the  ceiling,  stretched 
out  her  hands  and  in  a  low  but  intense  tone  uttered 
the  words,  "How  long,  oh  eternal  Truth,  will  you  be 
disregarded!  How  long  must  the  good  and  the  beauti- 
ful be  trampled  upon  by  selfish  prejudice!" 

Soon,  however,  she  had  composed  herself  and  ap- 
proached the  bedside.  For  a  moment  she  paused  and 
gazed  upon  the  fair  young  form  before  her,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  infinite  tenderness  and  love.  All  traces  of 
her  recent  emotion  had  disappeared  when  she  again 
began  to  caress  the  golden  head.  Gently  inserting  one 
hand  between  the  pillow  and  the  face  of  her  charge, 
she  turned  and  raised  the  girl's  head  until  the  blue 
eyes  opened  and  met  her  own. 

Something  in  the  look  of  unutterable  love  with  which 
the  philanthropist  regarded  her  penetrated  the  con- 
fused perception  of  the  girl,  for  she  caught  the  hand 
which  pressed  her  cheek  in  her  own  and  covered  it 
with  kisses. 

"Oh,  you  look  like  my  mother.  She  would  not  turn 
away  from  me  if  she  were  here,  and  you  do  not,  al- 


A  CITIZEN  OK  VENUS. 


27 


though  I  have  told  you  I  am  bad.  Oh,  I  did  not  mean 
to  be  bad!  I  did  not  know.  They  never  told  me. 
Oh,  do  not  drive  me  away  from  you!  I  will  do  any- 
thing you  say.  I  will  be  your  slave  if  you  will  only 
show  me  how  to  be  good !" 

"My  poor,  little,  persecuted  darling,"  said  Mrs.  Bell, 
as  she  continued  to  caress  her  charge,  "who  told  you 
that  you  were  bad?" 

"They  did,  my  aunt  and  uncle,  with  whom  I  lived. 
They  found  it  out  last  Sunday,  and  they  told  me  that 
I  was  a  bad  woman  and  that  they  would  never  speak 
to  me  again,  and  they  made  me  leave  their  house.  My 
aunt  said  I  had  disgraced  them,  and  my  uncle  said  I 
was  only  lit  for  hell,  and  the  quicker  I  went  there  the 
better.  Oh,  it  was  awful!  I  went  to  my  Aunt  Mary's, 
but  my  uncle  came  there  and  said  if  she  gave  me  a  home 
he  would  never  speak  to  her  again,  and  as  he  supports 
her,  I  had  to  leave  there  too.  Then  I  tried  to  get  work, 
but  I  never  did  anything  of  that  kind,  and  people  would 
ask  for  references,  and  I  could  not  give  any,  and  I  was 
so  excited  and  crying  that  they  would  not  help  me." 

"My  poor  girl!" 

"I  slept  in  a  doorway  Sunday  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing the  man  came  and  ordered  me  out  and  said  he  would 
get  a  policeman  to  take  me  to  the  station  house.  I 
walked  the  streets  all  day  Monday,  and  last  night  I  did 
not  sleep  at  all,  but  I  stayed  in  the  doorway  part  of  the 
night.  This  morning,  as  I  was  walking  down  Stale 
street.  1  saw  a  man's  name  on  a  sign,  thai  I  knew  1  had 
met  at  my  uncle's  Bible  class  in  Sunday-school.     I  went 


28  LOMA. 

into  his  office  and  asked  for  him,  and  told  him  my  uncle 
had  turned  me  away,  and  asked  him  if  there  was  any 
place  I  could  go  where  Christian  people  helped  a  girl 
in  such  cases.  He  said  there  was,  but  that  I  need  not 
go  to  such  a  place,  but  that  I  could  stay  with  him.  I 
asked  him  what  he  meant,  and  he  took  hold  of  me  and 
tried  to  kiss  me,  and  do  something  else  which  I  felt  was 
wrong,  and  I  ran  out  of  the  office.  When  I  left  my 
uncle's  house,  I  only  had  a  dollar  in  my  pocket,  and  I 
spent  that  for  something  to  eat,  and  it  was  all  gone 
this  morning,  and  I  was  so  tired  and  hungry,  and  every- 
body was  against  me,  and  I  could  not  stand  it  to  stay 
on  the  streets  another  night,  and  I  went  out  on  the 
pier  and  tried  to  end  it  all.  I  jumped  into  the  lake, 
and  then  somebody  pulled  me  out,  and  the  gentlemen 
brought  me  here.     Oh,  you  are  so  good  and  kind." 

More  than  one  tear  had  fallen  during  this  recital, 
from  the  overflowing  eyes  of  good,  motherly  Mrs.  Bell. 
Now  she  bent  over  the  pillow  and  covered  the  face  of 
the  girl  with  kisses,  while  her  tears  flowed  freely.  The 
girl  threw  her  arms  around  her  neck  and  kissed  her  in 
response,  saying,  "Oh,  you  are  so  good,  so  kind ;  you  are 
just  like  my  mother." 

"Was  your  mother  a  Christian?" 

"I  do  not  know.  She  died  when  I  was  ten  years  old, 
before  I  knew  much  about  such  things.  But  I  remem- 
ber my  uncle  quarreled  with  her  once,  because  she  said 
that  she  believed  more  in  doing  good  than  in  talking 
so  much  about  it." 

"Your  uncle  is  a  Christian?" 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  29 

"Oh,  yes;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  teaches  a  large  class  in  the  Sunday-school.  My 
aunt  is  also  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  and  is  presi- 
dent of  the  missionary  society.  That  was  one  thing 
my  aunt  said,  that  1  had  disgraced  them,  and  unless  I 
was  driven  out  none  of  their  fashionable  acquaintances 
would  call,  and  she  could  not  be  reelected  president 
of  the  missionary  society.1' 

Mrs.  Bell's  lip  curled  for  a  moment,  and  again  the 
expression  of  a  fierce  resolution  gleamed  in  her  eyes. 
But  it  gave  way  in  a  moment  to  her  habitual  expression 
of  tender  compassion,  as  she  spoke  to  the  girl. 

"Listen,  my  dear.  If  I  tell  you  that  I  am  your  friend, 
that  I  love  you  as  I  would  my  own  daughter,  and  that 
I  will  help  you  in  every  way,  will  you  believe  me  and 
trust  me,  and  do  as  I  tell  you  in  all  things?" 

"Oh,  madam,  will  you?  I  will  do  anything  you  say. 
I  could  trust  you  as  I  would  my  mother,"  and  the  girl 
placed  her  hand  in  Mrs.  Bell's  and  looked  appealiugly 
into  her  face. 

"That's  a  dear,  sensible,  good  girl.  Now  listen.  First 
of  all,  you  must  realize  that  you  are  not  bad.  That 
is  a  horrible,  ignorant  mistake.  Your  uncle  is  blinded 
by  a  false  philosophy,  and  will  live  to  regret  his  course 
toward  you  with  bitter  remorse.  So  will  your  aunt. 
You  shall  stay  with  me  and  be  my  daughter,  and  I  will 
help  you  out  of  all  your  trouble.  I  am  a  physician,  and 
my  sou  who  brought  you  here  is  a  physician  and  one 
of  the  best  in  the  world.  Now,  put  your  arms  around 
my  neck  and  kiss  me,  and  then  go  to  sleep,  unless  you 
feel  that  vou  would  like  to  have  some  nourishment." 


30  LOMA, 

"I  could  not  eat  anything  now,"  said  the  girl,  as  she 
disengaged  her  arms  from  the  neck  of  her  benefactor, 
while  a  heavenly  smile  illumined  her  features.  "I  am 
too  happy.  This  seems  like  heaven.  I  will  believe  it 
is  and  go  to  sleep  and  dream  of  you  and  my  mother." 

Slowly  the  fringed  curtains  drooped  over  the  blue 
eyes,  and  the  lips  parted  in  a  smile  of  sweet  rest  from 
pain  and  sorrow.  Mrs.  Bell  sat  by  the  bedside  until  the 
regular  breathing  of  her  patient  told  that  her  slumber 
was  complete.  Then  she  arose  and  stood  for  a  moment 
by  the  bedside  with  her  eyes  upraised  and  her  hands 
extended  as  if  in  prayer.  Her  lips  moved,  but  no 
sound  disturbed  the  sleeper.  For  a  moment  she  stood 
in  an  attitude  of  invocation,  then  she  turned  toward 
the  sleeping  girl  and  extended  her  hands  over  her  in 
an  attitude  of  benediction.  Stooping  to  press  a  kiss 
lightly  upon  the  brow  of  the  sleeping  girl,  she  noted 
with  satisfaction  that  it  was  cool  and  moist.  The 
girl's  lips  moved  and  smiled,  and  Mrs.  Bell  caught  the 
whispered  word,  "Mother." 

The  philanthropist  moved  noiselessly  to  the  door  of 
the  apartment.  As  she  passed  out  into  the  hall  she  met 
the  maid. 

"Nora,  you  may  lower  the  light  in  that  room  and  take 
your  position  just  outside  the  door.  I  do  not  think  the 
patient  will  need  any  attention  to-night,  but  if  she 
awakes  and  makes  any  demonstrations,  attend  to  her 
wants.  If  anything  occurs  that  you  cannot  manage, 
call  me  at  once.     I  shall  now  retire." 

The  maid  did  as  she  was  told,  but  not  without  paus- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  31 

ing  to  cast  an  admiring  glance  in  the  direction  of  her 
mistress.  She  took  her  place  at  the  door  of  the  apart- 
ment, saying  softly  to  herself,  in  a  rich  Irish  brogue: 

"Yis,  you'll  retire,  aftlier  yon  have  taken  all  the  tears 
away  from  the  blissid  young  lady  and  lift  her  sleepin' 
as  if  it  was  in  her  own  mitkor's  arms  she  was,  an'  she 
a  two-year-old  baby,  with  niver  a  sin  or  a  thronble  on 
her  white  soul,  at  all,  at  all!  An'  sure,  if  the  loikes  of 
you  don't  go  to  heaven,  its  mesilf  that's  wonderin' 
whether  there'll  be  any  dacint  people  there,  afther  all. 
And  Father  McGinnis  says  you're  a  haytheist,  an'  that 
yer  goin'  straight  to  the  divil.     Ochone!" 

Entirely  oblivions  of  these  reflections  on  the  part  of 
her  faithful  servant,  and  conscious  only  of  having  per- 
formed a  duty  toward  a  suffering  sister,  Mrs.  Bell 
reached  her  apartment,  and  laying  aside  her  wrapper 
and  donning  a  robe  of  snowy  whiteness  which  was  not 
more  pure  than  her  own  good  motives,  she  disposed 
herself  upon  her  bed  and  was  soon  enjoying  the  peace- 
ful slumber  which  was  the  portion  of  all  her  household, 
except  the  faithful  Nora,  who  remained  at  her  post. 

Sleep!  Gentle,  restful,  healing,  peaceful  sleep!  It 
fell  upon  the  great  city  like  the  brooding  wings  of  a 
benevolent  angel,  and  everywhere  it  carried  a  blessing 
and  a  benediction.  The  clanging  bells  of  the  cable  cars 
and  the  shrieking  whistles  of  the  locomotives,  the  buzz 
of  ten  thousand  wheels  and  the  smiting  of  a  thousand 
anvils  were  hushed,  and  tired  men  laid  down  the  weap- 
ons of  toil  and  temporarily  forgot,  their  sorrows.  A 
cool  breeze,  fresh  from  the  bosom  of  the  lake,  fluttered 


32  LOMA, 

over  the  tops  of  the  houses,  wound  its  way  through  the 
narrow  and  stifling  streets,  swept  them  of  millions  of 
disease-breeding  germs,  and  deposited  its  burden  on  the 
green  prairies  of  the  South,  where  they  became  harm- 
less fertilizers  to  the  teeming  fields.  And  Sleep  said  to 
the  breeze,  "I  will  be  your  companion,"  and  together 
they  wandered  over  the  great  city.  They  visited  the 
tenements  of  the  poor  and  kissed  the  cheeks  of  half- 
starved  children  and  the  pinched  faces  of  the  parents, 
and  gave  them  the  first  sensation  of  comfort  they  had 
felt  in  forty-eight  hours.  They  penetrated  the  stables, 
and  the  tired  horses  yielded  to  their  influence,  and 
rested.  They  entered  the  homes  of  the  men  of  busi- 
ness, and  strong  men  blessed  them  and  sank  to  the 
negative  recuperation  of  their  energies.  Tired  clerks 
inhaled  the  breeze,  with  a  sense  of  relief,  and  embraced 
Sleep  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction.  They  rushed  through 
the  saloons,  and  weary  debauchees  drank  the  breeze, 
and  Sleep  gave  them  brief  respite  from  remorse.  In  the 
brothels,  weary,  jaded  women  paused  from  cursing,  to 
bless  the  breeze,  and  Sleep  kissed  into  temporary  obliv- 
ion, even  the  most  depraved. 

But  the  breeze  said  to  Sleep,  ''Let  us  make  one  more 
visit,"  and  they  entered  the  mansion  of  a  millionaire  on 
Prairie  avenue.  And  the  breeze  bore  on  its  wings  a 
grain  of  conscientiousness,  and  it  fell  into  the  brain  of 
the  millionaire  and  disturbed  him.  And  Sleep  said,  "I 
will  depart,  until  this  man  learns  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness." And  it  came  to  pass,  that  the  millionaire  did 
not  sleep,  and  he  was  tortured  with  remorse  and  he 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS.  33 

said,  "Woe  is  me,  for  I  have  not  considered  the  case  of 
the  unfortunate,  neither  have  I  listened  to  the  cry  <>! 

distress." 

And  while  he  was  yet  meditating  upon  the  evil  of 
his  ways,  the  sun  arose  and  Sleep  departed  from  the 
city,  but  the  breeze  remained  to  comfort  the  inlni  hit- 
ants  thereof. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


TEIE  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 

"There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth,  Horatio,  than 
are  dreampt  of  in  your  philosophy." 

When  Doctor  Bell  arose  on  the  morning  following 
the  events  recorded  in  the  preceding  chapters,  his  first 
thoughts  naturally  reverted  to  the  guests  who  were  ia 
such  a  remarkable  manner  placed  within  the  courtesies 
of  his  hospitality.  He  arose  and  dressed  himself  at 
once,  and,  as  he  did  so,  resolved  that  he  would  follow 
the  adventure  to  its  finale,  regardless  of  expense  or  per- 
sonal inconvenience.  He  was  very  sure  that  his  mother 
would  give  to  the  unfortunate  young  woman  every 
needed  attention,  so  he  did  not  concern  himself  about 
her  as  much  as  he  pondered  about  the  extraordinary 
character  of  Loma.  He  had  just  completed  his  toilet, 
when  a  servant  appeared  at  his  door  and  announced: 

"The  gentleman  in  the  library  bedroom  has  just  rung 
his  bell,  sir.  and  you  left  word  that  you  were  to  be 
called." 

"Quite  right,  Thomas;  I  will  attend  to  his  wants  my- 
self." 

The  doctor  proceeded  at  once  to  the  library  and 
knocked  gently  on  the  door  of  the  bedroom  to  which 
he    had    conducted    Loma    the    night    before.     Loma 


36  LOMA, 

opened  it,  and  seeing  the  doctor,  his  face  was  at  once 
illumined  with  one  of  his  peculiar  and  affectionate  ex- 
pressions. He  extended  both  hands  to  the  doctor,  who 
grasped  them  cordially  and  exclaimed: 

"Good  morning,  my  dear  sir.  I  am  delighted  to  see 
you  looking  so  well.  I  hope  you  found  your  quarters 
agreeable,  and  that  you  are  fully  recovered  from  the 
fatigue  of  your  journey." 

"Delightful,  my  dear  doctor.  No  one  could  fail  to  be 
refreshed  in  the  enjoyment  of  such  hospitality  as  yours, 
Those  grapes  were  delicious,  and  I  have  enjoyed  the 
bath  and  other  conveniences  to  the  fullest  extent." 

"That  reminds  me,  sir,  that  I  came  to  provide  for 
your  breakfast,  after  which  we  will  consider  such  other 
matters  as  may  be  necessary  for  your  comfort.  Is  there 
anything  you  would  specially  prefer?  I  will  have  my 
steward  provide  the  breakfast  for  both  of  us  in  the 
library,  and  then  withdraw,  and  while  we  are  discuss- 
ing the  viands,  I  will  listen  to  any  suggestions  you  have 
to  offer,  in  regard  to  any  matter  in  which  I  can  be  of 
service  to  you." 

As  he  spoke,  the  doctor  glanced  curiously  at  Loma, 
who  was  standing  in  an  easy  attitude,  in  the  state  of 
perfect  nudity,  which  he  seemed  to  prefer,  and  at  the 
covers  of  the  bed,  which  were  laid  carefully  over  the 
footboard  and  had  not  been  used,  while  the  print  of 
Loma's  body  was  evident  upon  the  sheet  where  he  had 
rested.  The  elegant  silk  night  robe  had  not  been  used, 
and  was  lying  upon  the  chair  where  the  doctor  had 
placed    it    when    he    called    Loma's    attention    to   it. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  37 

Evidently  his  guest  had  considered  his  own  comfort 
rather  than  fashion,  and  it  was  also  evident  that  he 
preferred  to  be  nude  whenever  he  could  be  so  with  pro- 
priety. The  doctor's  quick  eye  also  noticed,  what  had 
escaped  him  the  night  previous,  that  Loma's  body  was 
covered  with  soft,  downy  hair,  of  exquisite  fineness  of 
quality,  but  sufficiently  copious  to  afford  a  very  com- 
fortable covering  against  ordinary  exposure.  The  color 
of  this  hair  was  very  much  lighter  than  that  which 
hung  in  such  profusion  from  his  head,  and  was  in  fact 
almost  the  same  color  as  his  skin,  which  accounted  for 
the  fact  that  the  doctor  had  not  noticed  it  before. 

"Thank  you,  doctor,"  said  Loma,  "All  I  require  for 
food  is  such  fruits,  vegetables  and  nuts  as  you  may  be 
able  to  supply  without  inconvenience.  My  only  bever- 
age is  water,  and  that  which  you  so  kindly  served  last 
night  is  superb  in  quality.  I  am  aware  that  you  are 
accustomed  to  animal  food  and  grains,  and  you  will 
not  offend  my  taste  by  ordering  for  yourself  anything 
which  you  may  prefer,  if  you  propose  to  entertain  me 
with  your  own  good  company." 

"I  will  be  with  you  in  a  moment,"  said  the  doctor, 
smiling;  and  quitting  the  room  he  gave  his  orders  to 
an  attendant,  which  were  soon  executed.  In  a  few 
minutes,  when  the  doctor  again  stepped  to  the  door  of 
Loma's  apartment,  he  invited  the  latter  to  the  library, 
where  a  delicious  repast  awaited  them  on  the  table, 
in  the  center  of  the  room.  A  damask  table-cloth  had 
been  laid,  and  a  delicate  service  of  silver  and  nil  glass 
glittered   upon   the  table.     In   baskets   of  solid    silver 


38  LOMA, 

were  tastefully  arranged  apples,  peaches,  pears,  plums 
and  grapes.  In  the  center  of  the  table  was  a  large 
glass  urn  filled  with  the  choicest  of  nuts,  while  two 
smaller  dishes  were  filled  with  large  Florida  navel 
oranges.  Two  handsomely  engraved  silver  goblets 
flanked  a  silver  water  pitcher  near  the  doctor's  seat, 
and  in  a  receptacle  above  the  urn  was  arranged  a  choice 
bouquet  of  flowers.  As  Loma  stepped  into  the  library, 
the  doctor  placed  a  chair  near  the  table  and  invited  his 
guest  to  be  seated,  saying,  in  his  usual  gracious  and 
courtly  manner. 

"Permit  me,  sir,  to  offer  you  the  best  my  resources 
afford.  The  fruits,  with  the  exception  of  the  oranges, 
are  from  the  farm  near  Elgin,  which  I  mentioned  to  you 
last  night.  The  oranges  are  from  another  farm  which 
I  am  fortunate  enough  to  possess  in  Florida.  For  nuts, 
I  am  compelled  to  depend  upon  the  Chicago  market,  but 
I  trust  you  will  find  these  not  altogether  unpalatable." 

"My  dear  doctor,"  said  Loma,  as  he  took  his  seat  and 
began  the  repast,  "your  hospitality  leaves  nothing  to  be 
desired.  These  peaches  are  delicious,"  he  continued, 
as  he  paused  to  inhale  the  aroma  of  a  superb  specimen 
before  removing  the  skin.  "Is  it  not  strange  that  in 
the  development  of  your  civilization  your  people  have 
not  learned  to  apply  the  same  principles  to  the  develop- 
ment of  humanity,  that  you  have  mastered  so  well  in 
respect  to  horticulture?" 

"That  is  one  of  the  facts  which  have  often  struck  me 
as  singular,"  said  the  doctor,  as  he  poured  out  a  goblet 
of  sparkling  water  for  Loma,  and  then  filled  the  re- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  39 

maining  one  for  himself.  "Yet,  I  have  attributed  it  to 
this  cause.  In  the  evolution  of  intelligence,  man  must 
first  become  cognizant  of  his  environment,  and  the  facts 
which  apply  to  it  arc  more  interesting  than  those  which 
more  nearly  concern  his  own  individuality.  As  he 
learns  more  of  those  objects  which  surround  him,  his 
curiosity  in  that  direction  becomes  satisfied,  and  he 
then  begins  to  contemplate  himself.  It  must  neces- 
sarily follow  that  he  will  give  more  attention,  therefore, 
at  first,  to  the  improvement  of  his  environment  than 
to  the  improvement  of  his  own  personal  condition.  For 
that  reason,  in  his  present  stage  of  development,  man 
gives  greater  attention  to  the  improvement  of  horti- 
cultural products,  and  even  to  his  own  domestic  ani- 
mals, than  he  does  to  the  improvement  of  himself. 
There  is  another  reason,  and  that  is  that  these  prod- 
ucts are  immediately  marketable,  and  therefore  as  at 
present  man  is  largely  dominated  by  his  acquisitiveness, 
he  expends  his  energies  in  improving  that  which  he 
can  convert  into  money  in  a  very  short  time.  He  en- 
tirely overlooks  the  fact  that  human  intelligence  and 
superiority  are  the  final  and  most  powerful  factors 
in  prosperity,  but  to  comprehend  this  would  require  a 
depth  of  philosophical  reasoning  of  which  our  people 
are,  alas,  sadly  incapable.  But  the  trend  of  our  best 
minds  is  now  in  this  direction,  and  many  movements 
are  on  foot  having  for  (heir  ostensible' end  the  improve- 
ment of  the  race.  Of  course  these  movements  are  cha- 
otic  and  conflicting,  but  thai  is  t<>  be  expected  in  the 
beginning  of  any  great  stage  <>f  evolution.     I  am  confi- 


40  LOMA, 

dent  that  the  close  of  the  present  century  will  witness 
a  marked  advance  along  this  line  of  thought." 

Loma  had  paused  in  his  dissection  of  the  peach,  and 
had  listened  to  the  doctor  with  interest  and  admiration 
depicted  upon  his  fine  countenance.  He  now  spoke  with 
enthusiasm. 

"Your  remarks,  my  dear  friend,  have  shown  you  to 
be  the  philosopher  you  are  reputed  to  be  in  my  country. 
I  am  delighted  to  be  the  guest  of  a  man  who  is  capable 
of  viewing  things  as  they  are,  and  of  solving,  in  a  meas- 
ure, the  problems  which  stand  in  the  way  of  advance- 
ment. When  we  have  finished  this  delightful  repast, 
and  have  gathered  from  it  the  strength  we  shall  both 
require  to  comprehend  the  situation,  I  shall  take  pleas- 
ure in  enlightening  you  concerning  myself." 

Loma  continued  his  breakfast  with  the  air  of  a  man 
who  has  an  important  mission  to  perform  in  which  he 
evidently  took  great  delight.  There  was  an  air  of 
suppressed  excitement  in  his  manner,  which,  neverthe- 
less, detracted  nothing  from  the  superb  dignity  which 
he  always  maintained.  Doctor  Bell  regarded  him  with 
respectful  curiosity  and  great  interest.  He  had  never 
been  in  the  presence  of  such  a  man  before,  and  he  was 
certain,  as  he  considered  all  that  had  happened  since 
their  first  meeting  on  the  pier,  that  he  was  confronted 
with  the  most  remarkable  episode  that  had  ever  oc- 
curred in  his  experience.  He  had  thoroughly  resolved 
to  be  equal  to  any  emergency,  and  he  was  prepared  for 
any  extraordinary  phenomenon  which  might  develop 
itself  in  the  premises.     P>ut  he  could  not  suppress  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  41 

feeling  that  something  was  about  to  occur  which  would 
transcend  the  usual  line  of  events,  and  he  awaited  the 
conversation  of  his  guest  with  intense  interest. 

Having  finished  his  breakfast  with  evident  relish  and 
appreciation,  Lonia  arose  from  his  seat  and  stood  be- 
fore the  doctor  with  folded  arms.  The  latter  regarded 
him  with  fixed  attention.  Loma's  eyes  blazed  with  a 
strange  luster,  and  as  he  stood  looking  into  the  face  of 
the  physician,  the  expression  of  his  countenance  was 
animated,  sincere  and  enthusiastic.  Doctor  Bell  was 
impressed  with  the  volume  of  intelligence  which  seemed 
to  flash  from  the  eyes  of  Loma,  and  his  first  impression 
was,  that  whatever  the  extraordinary  man  before  him 
should  say,  would  be  true.  In  fact,  the  doctor  had 
already  noted  as  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  man 
his  power  of  seeming  to  compel  belief. 

"Doctor  Bell,"  said  Loma,  impressively,  after  a  brief 
pause,  ''are  you  prepared  to  receive  a  most  unusual 
declaration  from  me,  and  to  receive  it  with  the  same 
degree  of  candor  with  which  I  deliver  it?" 

"I  am,"  replied  the  physician,  still  regarding  his  guest 
with  fixed  attention.  "The  events  which  I  have  already 
observed  have  in  a  measure  prepared  me  for  the  recep- 
tion of  still  further  surprising  phenomena,  and  even  if 
that  were  lacking,  your  own  personal  character  is  such 
that  I  would  be  compelled  to  treat  with  respectful  con- 
sideration anything  which  you  might  feel  disposed  to 
communicate.  I  am  deeply  interested,  even  impatient, 
to  see  or  hear  anything  which  you  may  have  to  offer, 
and  T  have  sufficient  confidence  in  you  io  believe,  that 


42  .  LOMA, 

what  you  have  to  disclose,  however  surprising,  will 
stand  any  test  which  I,  as  a  scientific  investigator,  may 
be  disposed  to  apply." 

"Thank  you,  doctor.  Your  confidence  is  appreciated, 
and  I  will  proceed  upon  the  plane  of  perfect  candor. 
I  will  now  give  you  my  residence,  which  I,  for  reasons 
which  you  will  perfectly  understand,  withheld  from 
you  last  night.  Doctor  Bell,  I  am  LOMA,  A  citizen 
of  Venus. 

"Of  Venus?" 

"Yes,  sir,  of  Venus.  The  beautiful  star  which  il- 
lumined the  western  heavens  last  evening,  which  you 
have  studied  through  your  telescope  with  the  interest 
of  an  astronomer,  was  until  last  evening,  a  moment  be- 
fore we  met,  my  home  and  abiding  place.  I  arrived 
upon  this  planet  at  the  precise  moment  that  the  young 
woman  who  is  now  enjoying  your  hospitality  in  another 
apartment  touched  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  in  the 
mad  attempt  to  end  her  existence,  which  we  both  wit- 
nessed. Strange  as  it  may  appear  to  you,  our  meeting  un- 
der such  peculiar  circumstances  was  not  accidental,  but 
in  accordance  with  the  plan  of  certain  great  events 
which  have  been  arranged  by  forces  entirely  unknown 
to  you  and  to  her,  but  in  which  you  are  both  destined  to 
play  important  parts.  My  own  position  in  this  important 
drama  is  that  of  an  humble  agent  of  the  aforesaid  pow- 
ers, but  a  position  of  which  I  am  extremely  proud.  I 
am  intrusted  with  a  commission  fraught  with  conse- 
quences of  the  greatest  moment  to  the  inhabitants  of 
this  planet,  for  the  execution  of  which  I  am  directed 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  43 

to  rely  upon  your  assistance.  It  may  be  a  source  of 
satisfaction  and  pride  to  you,  sir,  to  know,  that,  from 
the  moment  of  your  conception  in  your  mother's  womb, 
you  have  been  selected  by  the  powers  to  which  I  refer 
as  the  person  to  aid  me  in  this  enterprise,  as  I  was  se- 
lected from  an  equally  important  moment  for  its  prose- 
cution. The  credit  for  the  selection,  in  each  case,  is 
due  to  our  excellent  mothers,  who,  by  conforming  to 
the  most  perfect  conditions  of  gestation  and  subse- 
quent education,  endowed  us  each  with  the  requisite 
powers  for  the  successful  consummation  of  the  most 
important  service  ever  rendered  to  mankind." 

As  Loma  finished  this  declaration,  he  extended  his 
hands  and  clasped  those  of  the  doctor,  in  a  fervid  and 
enthusiastic  grasp.  The  doctor  returned  his  grasp 
with  enthusiasm,  and  while  he  thrilled  under  the  mag- 
netism of  Loma,  which  for  the  moment  seemed  to  be  of 
more  than  its  former  intensity,  he  felt  that  he  himself 
was  glowing  with  a  corresponding  emanation,  which 
the  association  of  Loma  seemed  to  have  suddenly  called 
out.  He  was  conscious  of  the  most  delicious  sensations 
and  he  surrendered  himself  to  them  without  reserve. 
He  could  not  help  believing  every  word  spoken  by 
Loma,  but  the  disclosure  was  so  wonderful  that  he  was 
confused  and  bewildered.     Loma  noticed  this  and  said: 

"Compose  yourself,  my  dear  friend,  and  let  me  give 
you  the  substance  of  my  narrative,  as  you  arc  able  to 
receive  it.  In  the  meantime,  if  you  will  drink  tliis  gob- 
let of  water  which  T  have  charged  with  certain  mac- 


44  .   LOMA, 

netic  conditions  not  known  to  your  therapeutics,  you 
will  be  considerably  strengthened." 

As  Loma  spoke,  he  handed  the  doctor  one  of  the  gob- 
lets which  he  had  filled,  and  which  he  had  held  for  a 
moment  under  the  palm  of  his  hand.  The  doctor  drank 
it,  and  as  he  did  so  noted  that  it  had  a  strange  aroma 
and  flavor,  and  that  it  sparkled  unusually.  As  he 
drank  it  he  felt  his  excitement  subside,  his  senses  be- 
came perfectly  collected,  and  he  awaited  the  further 
disclosures  of  Loma  with  the  cool  interest  of  a  scientist 
and  philosopher. 

"I  am  astonished  at  what  you  say,"  he  said  to  Loma, 
as  the  latter  resumed  his  seat;  "but  I  am  prepared  to 
follow  you  through  your  entire  statement,  and  to  re- 
ceive such  arguments  and  proofs  as  you  may  desire  to 
submit." 

"That  is  what  I  have  expected  from  a  man  of  your 
caliber,"  said  Loma,  admiringly,  "and  I  will  proceed. 
Know,  then,  that  it  is  a  part  of  the  economy  of  the 
Universe,  that  each  planet  shall,  at  certain  intervals, 
not  regular  as  to  time,  but  determined  by  the  progress 
of  development,  receive  from  that  planet  in  the  same 
solar  system  which  precedes  it  in  development,  certain 
impulses,  which  are  accomplished  b}'  the  translation  of 
germs  from  the  preceding  planet  to  the  succeeding. 
These  germs  are  translated  by  an  electro-magnetic 
process,  which  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  disclose,  for  the 
reason  that  this  planet  has  not  yet  reached  that  stage 
of  development  at  which  it  would  be  practicable  for 
men  to  use  it.    It  is  sufficient  for  me  to  say,  that,  when 


A  CITIZEX  OF  VENUS.  45 

it  becomes  necessary  for  a  germ  to  be  translated,  a 
proper  vehicle  is  provided,  and  the  genus  are  trans- 
lated from  the  first  planet  to  the  second  with  the  same 
rapidity  that  a  dispatch  could  be  sent  if  a  telegraph 
line  were  established  between  them.  It  is  in  this  way 
that  vegetation  first  appears  upon  any  planet,  and  later 
that  the  various  forms  of  life  are  evolved.  In  each  case 
the  parent  germs  are  deposited  upon  the  planet  from 
the  planet  preceding  it  in  development.  The  planet 
Venus,  being  the  precedent  of  the  earth,  is  the  source  of 
supply  for  the  germs  of  all  the  developments  which  you 
have.  The  operation  of  this  law  has  been  known  in 
Venus  for  many  centuries,  and  our  scientists  have 
watched  with  great  interest  the  outcome  of  the  many 
varieties  of  germs  that  have  been,  from  time  to  time, 
translated  from  our  planet  to  yours.  The  law  of  trans- 
lation not  being  recognized  on  this  planet,  you  have  re- 
mained in  ignorance  of  it,  and  have  not  even  known  the 
effect  of  the  translations  of  vegetation  which  have  been 
made  to  Mars  from  the  earth,  which  is  the  precedent  of 
Mars.  These  translations  have  been  going  on  from  re- 
motest time,  and  you  have  long  since  received  all  of  the 
varieties  of  germs  of  vegetation  which  are  known  upon 
our  planet,  but  they  have  not  reached  an  equal  stage  of 
development.  The  same  fact  is  time  of  the  animal 
germs  and  the  germs  of  humanity.  What  remains  to 
be  translated  now  are  germs  of  thought,  and  of  such  1 
am  the  honored  custodian.  In  obedience  to  the  great 
law  of  development  of  which  I  have  spoken,  the  time 
has  arrived  when  it  has  become  necessary  for  the  fur- 


46  LOMA, 

ther  progress  of  your  civilization,  that  certain  germs 
of  thought  should  be  translated  from  our  planet  to 
yours,  which,  taking  root  here,  will  marvelously  accel- 
erate your  advancement.  In  the  accomplishment  of 
this  design  I.  am  the  vehicle  of  certain  thoughts  which 
I  am  commissioned  to  deliver  upon  this  planet.  To  en- 
able them  to  take  root  and  accomplish  the  purpose  of 
the  powers  which  sent  me,  it  is  necessary  that  they 
should  be  planted  in  fruitful  soil  and  cultivated  with 
the  utmost  solicitude  «md  intelligence.  The  beautiful 
young  female  whom  we  caught  from  the  bosom  of  Lake 
Michigan  last  night  has  been  destined  from  the  first 
moment  of  her  existence  to  be  the  receptacle  of  the 
germs  which  I  am  commissioned  to  plant.  Yourself, 
your  honored  mother,  and  such  other  persons  as  we 
shall  hereafter  take  into  our  confidence,  are  the  hus- 
bandmen who  will  cultivate  and  disseminate  these 
germs  of  living  truth." 

"This  is  magnificent,"  exclaimed  the  doctor.  "I  think 
I  understand  the  outline  of  the  plan,  but  there  are  some 
questions  I  would  like  to  ask." 

"As  many  as  you  please." 

"How  does  it  happen  that  your  planet  Venus  is  the 
precedent  of  the  earth?  Our  astronomers  have  dis- 
cussed that  question  to  a  great  extent,  and  they  are 
generally  agreed  that  Venus  is  a  younger  planet  than 
the  earth.  In  fact,  one  of  the  most  eminent  observers 
has  recently  declared  that  Mars  is  the  planet  which 
precedes  ours  in  development,  and  that  our  advance- 
ment does  in  some  measure  depend  upon  the  study  of 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  47 

conditions  upon  its  surface.  An  animated  discussion 
has  recently  been  carried  on  as  to  the  possibility  of 
communicating  with  the  astronomers  of  Mars,  and  vari- 
ous plans  have  been  suggested,  but  nothing  as  yet  has 
seemed  practical." 

''There  are  no  astronomers  on  Mars,"  said  Loma,  smil- 
ing, "and  if  your  observers  should  succeed  in  divining 
the  true  condition  of  affairs  on  that  planet  they  would 
get  more  information  as  to  the  condition  of  matters 
on  this  planet  hundreds  of  centuries  ago.  Your  as- 
tronomers are,  as  a  rule,  brilliant  and  astute  men,  but 
they  have  utterly  failed  to  understand  the  true  rule 
of  progression,  because  they  have  ignored  the  primal 
laws  of  genesis,  which  govern  the  production  of  stars, 
as  well  as  of  planets,  animals  and  human  beings.  Ig- 
noring these  laws,  they  have  been  led  into  fatal  errors 
as  to  the  origin  and  nature  of  the  stars  themselves,  as 
well  as  the  effects  produced  by  one  star  upon  another, 
hence  their  conceptions  of  the  causes  of  solar  heat  and 
light  are  totally  erroneous." 

"It  is  commonly  supposed,"  said  the  doctor,  "that, 
Venus  being  at  least  twenty-five  million  miles  closer  to 
the  blazing  mass  of  the  sun  than  we  are,  the  increase  in 
the  amount  of  heat  received  would  be  sufficient  to  pre- 
clude the  possibility  of  any  form  of  life  with  which  we 
are  familiar  existing  upon  its  surface." 

"Here,  again,  your  astronomers  are  in  error.  The 
sun  is  not  a  blazing  mass,  nor  does  it  radiate  heat  or 
light.  The  conditions  upon  Venus  are  so  nearly  like 
those  upon  this  planet  that  in  my  sudden  transition  to 


48  LOMA. 

this  earth  I  have  experienced  no  inconvenience  what- 
ever. If  you  could  be  as  suddenly  removed  to  the  sur- 
face of  Venus  as  I  have  been  from  Venus  to  earth,  you 
would  find  yourself  in  a  region  in  which  the  physical 
characteristics  are  so  similar  that  you  would  be  in- 
sensible to  the  change,  did  you  not  observe  the  radical 
difference  in  the  inhabitants  and  their  accomplish- 
ments. In  these  latter  respects  we  are  many  centuries 
in  advance  of  you  in  the  development  of  humanity  and 
all  that  that  implies. 

"I  will  now  proceed  to  explain  the  cause.  Stars  and 
planets  are  the  product  of  growth,  as  is  every  other 
object  with  which  we  are  familiar.  If  the  sun  were  a 
blazing  mass,  as  you  have  supposed,  and  the  planets 
simply  cooled  cinders,  according  to  the  popular  hy- 
pothesis, the  process  of  combustion  would  have  en- 
tirely devitalized  them,  and  being  dead  themselves,  they 
would  be  incapable  of  sustaining  life.  On  the  contrary, 
the  planets  of  each  solar  system  are  living  organs,  of 
which  the  central  sun  is  the  parent,  and  they  are  pro- 
jected into  space  according  to  the  operation  of  the  same 
law  which  governs  the  gestation  and  projection  of  every 
other  object.  The  grand  principles  of  sex  are  the 
potencies  which  produce  this  result.  You  are  familiar 
with  the  operations  of  the  male  and  female  principles, 
as  expressed  in  plants  and  animals.  The  same  princi- 
ples are  expressed  in  the  operation  of  creation  through- 
out the  universe.  Stars  are  generated  continuously 
from  a  prime  potential  source  in  which  the  genitive 
factors  are  space,  matter,  omnipresence,  limitation,  per- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS. 


49 


sistency,  consistency,  continuance  and  divisibility.  The 
first  two  of  these  factors,  to-wit,  space  and  matter,  con- 
stitute the  prime  source,  the  male  and  female  princi- 
ples, from  which  all  creation  is  derived.  Space  is  nega- 
tive, matter  is  positive.  Space  is  female,  matter  is 
male.  Space  is  omnipresent,  persistent  and  continu- 
ous. Matter  is  limited,  consistent  and  divisible.  The 
eternal  affinity  which  exists  between  these  negative 
and  positive  principles  produces  worlds,  stars  and  solar 
systems,  as  well  as  the  most  minute  forms  of  growth  of 
every  organism  which  exists. 

"Your  astronomers  and  philosophers  say  that  nature 
abhors  a  vacuum.  The  true  statement  of  this  princi- 
ple is  that  matter  loves  space.  Wherever  unoccupied 
space  exists,  matter  tries  to  fill  it.  The  omnipresence 
of  space  and  the  limitation  of  matter  makes  this  a 
never-ending  struggle,  which  produces  all  the  phe- 
nomena of  growth.  The  constant  mutations  of  matter 
are  the  result  of  its  eternal  effort  to  occupy  space. 

"By  virtue  of  the  genderic  degree  of  state  with  which 
space,  matter,  omnipresence  and  limitation  are  en- 
dowed, like  degrees  of  genitive  passion  are  generated 
among  them.  The  negative  degree  of  this  genitive  pus 
sion  is  ever  generated  in  unoccupied  space,  and  we  call 
it  electricity.  The  positive  degree  is  ever  generated 
from  all  matter,  and  we  call  it  magnetism.  In  other 
words,  electricity  is  the  love  of  space  for  mailer  and 
magnetism  is  the  love  or  passion  of  matter  for  space.  It 
is  therefore  evident  that  the  entire  creation  is  founded 
on  love  as  its  great  creative  principle,  and  Hint   when 


50  LOMA, 

man  places  himself  in  harmony  with  the  universal  law 
of  love,  his  advancement  is  as  rapid  as  growth  is  pos- 
sible. 

-"It  follows  from  the  principles  that  I  have  announced 
that  the  stars  and  planets,  being  composed  of  matter, 
are  all  masculine.  You  are  doubtless  familiar  with  the 
fact,  that  all  genesis  proceeds  by  the  successive  steps 
of  impregnation,  incubation  and  parturition.  The  pas- 
sion of  the  male  produces  a  germ,  which  is  deposited  in 
the  female,  who  nourishes  it  during  the  period  of  in- 
cubation, when  final  parturition  endows  it  with  a  sep- 
arate life. 

"The  sun  may,  therefore,  be  properly  recognized  as 
the  male  parent  of  all  the  planets  within  this  solar 
system,  as  space  is  the  female  parent.  The  grand  pas- 
sion of  the  sun  for  the  space  which  surrounds  him,  has 
caused  him  at  various  intervals  to  produce  the  germs 
of  the  planets,  which,  as  they  have  matured  within  his 
substance,  have  been  deposited  by  him,  in  the  fervency 
of  his  love  for  space,  within  the  broad  womb  of  her 
maternal  receptivity,  w7here  they  have  been  nourished 
by  her  during  their  respective  periods  of  incubation. 
This  nourishment  is  derived  from  the  immense  quantity 
of  matter  which  space  constantly  holds  as  a  product  of 
the  disintegration  which  is  continually  resulting  from 
the  depletion  and  death  of  planets  and  stars.  This 
product,  orginally  devitalized,  is  regenerated  with  her 
electricity  after  an  inconceivable  period  of  time,  and 
being  brought  into  contact  with  a  germ  from  the  sun 
which  is  glowing  with  magnetism,  a  mutual  attraction 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  51 

results  which  causes  them  (<>  unite.  This  beautiful 
phenomenon  is  visible  to  you  every  night  of  the  year. 
A  meteor,  which  is  simply  the  fragment  of  a  (lend 
planet,  long  held  in  the  embrace  of  Space,  and  by  her 
reduced  to  a  condition  in  which  electricity  preponder- 
ates over  magnetism,  but  still  retaining  some  magnet- 
ism, comes  within  the  attraction  of  the  center  of  elec- 
trical receptivity  of  the  earth,  which  is  simply  one  of 
the  living  germs  still  requiring  nourishment.  The  re- 
ceptivity of  the  earth  attracts  this  meteor,  and  finding 
an  affinity  for  its  remnant  of  magnetism,  it  rushes  to 
the  embrace  of  the  earth,  and  in  doing  so,  encounters 
the  resistance  of  the  earth's  magnetism  and  atmos- 
phere, which  fuses  it  and  causes  it  to  dissipate  itself 
by  the  fervency  of  its  own  passion.  It  will  become 
incorporated  into  the  earth's  substance  and  will  remain 
until  it  is  again  thrown  off  by  some  other  manifestation 
of  the  eternal  energy  of  the  passion  of  matter  for  space. 
"Meteors  and  asteroids  are  the  fragments  of  dead 
planets,  held  in  solution  by  space.  The  asteroids  and 
meteors  which  we  encounter  are  the  fragments  of 
dead  members  of  our  solar  system  which  have  not 
entirely  disintegrated,  hence  the  fragments  retain  the 
original  orbits  in  effect.  Space  holds  an  immense 
quantity  of  matter  which  is  entirely  dissolved,  and 
is  therefore  absorbed  without  any  phenomena  whioh 
is  visible  to  our  senses,  as  the  meteor  is,  after  it 
has  been  entirely  fused  in  our  atmosphere.  As  the 
sun  gives  out  his  energy  in  new  generations  of  planet 
germs  and  magnetism,  he  is  constantly  depleting  him 


52  LOMA, 

self,  and  will  ultimately  die,  when  a  large  portion  of  his 
substance  will  remain,  to  be  disintegrated  by  decompo- 
sition in  the  form  of  a  comet,  as  in  the  case  with 
all  dead  bodies.  Comets  are  simply  the  decomposing 
bodies  of  dead  worlds,  glowing  with  the  phosphores- 
cence which  always  accompanies  decomposition.  The 
planets  will  continue  to  grow  until  the3T  have  reached 
the  full  limit  of  their  vitality,  which  is  only  measured 
by  the  quantity  of  nourishment  which  space  holds  in 
the  regions  in  which  they  move,  and  their  inherent  ab- 
sorbing power,  which  is  an  inheritance  from  their  par- 
ents, space  and  matter,  and  which  is  decided  by  the 
conditions  of  space  and  matter  under  which  they  were 
generated,  precisely  as  the  vitality  of  any  earthly  child 
depends  upon  the  conditions  of  his  parents  at  the  mo- 
ment of  conception. 

"The  moon  is  an  example  of  a  planet  germ  in  the 
process  of  incubation,  as  are  all  the  moons  of  the  plan- 
ets Jupiter,  Saturn,  etc.  While  a  planet  germ  is  in  the 
period  of  incubation,  it  has  no  atmosphere  and  no  di- 
urnal motion.  These  limitations  as  to  atmosphere  and 
diurnal  motion  correspond  to  the  limitations  which 
you  see  imposed  upon  all  germs  during  the  process  of 
incubation.  The  young  chicken  in  the  egg  does  not 
breathe,  nor  does  it  manifest  the  motions  which  after- 
birth enable  it  to  manifest  life.  Atmosphere  is  the 
breath  of  a  planet.  Diurnal  motion  is  the  regular 
manifestation  of  its  functionality. 

"Star  and  planet  germs,  like  all  others,  have  their 
vicissitudes.  Some  may  be  devitalized  during  the  pe- 
riod of  incubation;  some  are  destroyed  by  the  opposi- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  53 

tion  of  superior  forces,  and  some  live  out  the  full  period 
of  their  existence. 

"From  this  brief  statement  of  the  nature  and  effed 
of  genesis  in  the  solar  system,  it  follows,  as  von  would 
readily  infer  from  the  observation  of  growth  in  other 
forms,  that  those  products  of  gestation  which  lie  near- 
est to  the  parent  are  the  oldest.  Some  of  the  older 
children  of  our  sun,  which  originally  lay  nearer  to  him 
than  Mercury,  have  already  died  and  have  been  decom- 
posed into  their  original  elements,  and  are  now  held  in 
solution  in  the  everlasting  anus  of  space.  Mercury  is 
the  oldest  living  member  of  our  solar  family,  and  from 
him,  as  from  an  older  brother  to  younger  members  of 
the  same  family,  there  is  a  constant  radiation  of  mag- 
netism, containing  germs  of  good  will  and  progress, 
toward  all  the  younger  planets. 

"Venus  ranks  next  in  order,  and  there  is  from  him 
a  constant  emanation  of  these  germs  to  other  and 
younger  planets.  There  is  also  a  form  of  reciprocal 
affection,  exercised  from  a  younger  planet  toward  an 
older  one,  but  as  it  does  not  imply  the  transmission  of 
progressive  germs,  it  does  not  concern  us  to  consider 
that  at  this  time. 

"It  is  in  obedience  to  this  great  law  of  the  transla- 
tion of  germs  from  an  older  planet  to  a  younger  one, 
that  I  have  been  sent  to  this  planet,  to  deliver  the 
thoughts  which  by  careful  impression  and  education 
have  been  implanted  in  my  brain,  and  have  readied  the 
proper  stage  of  growth  to  be  transplanted  to  the  brain 
of  an  inhabitant  of  this  planet.  How  (his  shall  be  ac- 
complished, I  will  now  proceed  to  explain." 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE  MISSION  OF  LOMA. 

"There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and  another  glory  of  the 
moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  stars;  for  one  star  differeth 
from  another  star  in  glory." 

Loma  had  held  the  undivided  attention  of  his  listener 
during  the  foregoing  narrative.  In  fact,  Doctor  Bell 
had  never  heard  from  human  lips  as  brilliant  and  lucid 
an  explanation  of  the  phenomena  which  for  years  had 
possessed  for  him  all  the  fascination  of  an  absorbing 
study.  In  a  few  brief  words,  Loma  had  set  before  him 
a  complete  and  reasonable  solution  of  the  greatest 
problems  of  astronomy,  and  many  which  he  had  con- 
sidered as  practically  unknowable  were  now  made  per- 
fectly clear.  The  philosophy  itself  would  have  charmed 
him  if  the  ideas  had  been  crudely  expressed  by  an  unin- 
teresting person.  But  the  faultless  language  of  Loma, 
his  superb  manner  and  his  magnetic  and  convincing 
delivery,  combined  with  the  absolute  reasonableness  of 
all  he  had  uttered,  raised  the  doctor  to  an  ecstasy  of 
enthusiasm. 

"My  dear  Loma,"  he  exclaimed  as  the  latter  paused 
in  his  narrative,  "this  is  a  transcendent  experience. 
You  convince  me  that  all  you  say  is  true,  and  yet  it 
contains  a  perfect  demolition  of  all  our  cherished  the- 

(55) 


56  LOMA, 

ories.  But  I  am  impatient  to  know  how  you,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-five  million  miles,  came  to  be  acquaint- 
ed with  my  existence,  and  also  with  the  existence  and 
destiny  of  the  young  female  whom  you  say  has  been 
selected  for  the  high  office  of  receiving  the  germs  of 
thought  which  you  are  to  implant.  Moreover,  how 
does  it  happen  that  you,  a  citizen  of  a  world  many 
centuries  in  advance  of  this  one,  are  so  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  the  language  which  we  speak  on  this 
planet." 

"Nothing  is  easier,"  replied  Loma.  "You  are  doubt- 
less familiar  with  the  crude  phenomena  of  clairvoyance, 
as  practiced  here.  Well,  in  our  world  we  have  devel- 
oped this  power  to  such  a  degree  that  it  is  entirely  pos- 
sible for  our  adepts  to  see  what  is  transpiring  on  anoth- 
er planet  with  far  greater  ease  and  much  more  satis- 
factory results  than  your  best  clairvoyants  here  can 
discern  what  is  transpiring  in  another  city.  In  that 
way  we  have  not  only  learned  at  what  time  you  are 
ripe  for  the  reception  of  other  germs,  but  the  precise 
conditions  and  locality  in  which  to  plant  them.  Your 
conditions,  as  well  as  those  of  your  excellent  mother, 
and  of  the  young  female  who  is,  at  this  moment,  receiv- 
ing her  ministrations,  have  been  carefully  noted,  and  at 
the  proper  time  our  meeting  has  occurred.  In  the 
same  way,  knowing  that  it  was  my  high  destiny  to  be 
the  bearer  of  the  germs  of  thought  to  her  and  to  you, 
it  has  been  a  part  of  my  training  to  prepare  myself 
thoroughly  in  your  language  and  literature." 

"In  what  way,  may  I  ask,  are  you  to  impress  her 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  57 

with  the  thoughts  which  von  are"  commissioned  to 
deliver?" 

"In  order  that  you  may  properly  understand  my 
answer  to  that  question,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to 
know  more  of  her  history,  which  you  will,  of  course, 
understand  has  been  known  to  me  for  many  years,  and 
you  may  imagine  with  what  affectionate  interest  I  have 
followed  all  the  details  of  its  development.  In  brief, 
her  history  is  as  follows:  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Charles  Burnham,  a  teacher  and  writer  of  great  ability, 
and  a  man  of  spotless  integrity,  who  died  in  this  city 
in  1878,  when  Myrtle  was  three  years  old.  Her 
mother,  a  beautiful  and  supremely  cultured  woman, 
survived  him  seven  years,  when  she  also  died,  and 
little  Myrtle  was  taken  by  her  mother's  brother, 
who  became  guardian  for  the  small  property  which 
Myrtle  inherited  from  her  parents  and  which  was  ex- 
hausted in  her  education,  which  has  been  quite  exten- 
sive. She  is  an  accomplished  linguist  and  musician, 
and  has  inherited  all  of  the  superb  talents  of  her  father 
as  a  teacher  and  writer.  Her  uncle  and  aunt,  with 
whom  she  has  resided  until  three  days  ago,  are  well 
meaning  people,  but  the  victims  of  the  false  philosophy 
of  that  form  of  Christianity  which  is  expressed  in  the 
strictest  form  of  Presbyterianisrn.  It  is  one  of  the 
curiosities  of  the  Christian  religion,  as  it  is  practiced  on 
this  planet,  that  it  condemns  to  social  ostracism,  star- 
vation and  contumely  every  female  who  imitates  the 
example  of  the  mother  of  the  man  they  worship  as  <  rod. 

"Abonl  one  year  ago,  Myrtle  became  acquainted  with 


58  LOMA, 

a  most  excellent  young  man,  by  the  name  of  Albert 
Caldwell,  who  was  a  member  of  a  literary  society  of 
which  she  was  secretary.  They  were  complete  com- 
plements of  each  other's  natures,  and  the  acquaintance 
inevitably  ripened  into  love.  They  were  engaged  to  be 
married,  and  the  wedding  was  set  for  the  twelfth  of 
June.  As  is  customary,  the  young  people  were  accus- 
tomed to  spend  much  time  in  each  other's  society,  and 
they  indulged  freely  in  kisses  and  caresses,  and  other 
demonstrations  of  affection.  Myrtle  is  a  superbly  sexed 
young  woman,  and  the  excitement  of  her  lover's  ca- 
resses brought  on  a  degree  of  sexual  passion  which 
neither  of  them  could  control.  Believing  that  they  were 
perfectly  safe,  and  having  perfect  confidence  in  each  oth- 
er, they  participated  several  times  in  the  act  of  coition. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  say,  doctor,  that  this 
was  the  result  of  forces  which  were  entirely  beyond 
their  control  and  a  preparation  for  the  events  which 
are  to  follow  in  connection  with  my  mission.  Albert 
was  entirely  honorable  in  his  intentions,  and  would 
have  killed  himself  before  he  would  have  permitted  any 
harm  to  come  to  his  sweetheart  through  his  rashness. 
In  one  of  these  acts  of  coition,  in  which  her  sexual  pas- 
sion and  her  love  for  her  betrothed  found  its  most 
complete  and  full  expression,  she  conceived  the  son 
with  which  she  is  now  pregnant,  and  which  is  now  in 
the  fourth  month  of  incubation.  On  the  eleventh  day  of 
June  Albert  was  killed  in  an  accident  on  a  cable  car  in 
the  La  Salle  street  tunnel  as  he  was  on  his  way  to  visit 
Myrtle.     The  girl  bore  this  calamity  bravely,  although 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  59 

her  heart  was  almost  broken.  She  had,  however,  ow- 
ing  to  the  buoyancy  of  her  temperament,  practically 
recovered  from  this  grief  when  she  began  to  discover 
the  changes  in  her  organization  which  are  familiar  to 
you  as  the  first  indications  of  pregnancy.  It  is  only 
fair  to  remark,  in  this  connection,  that  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time  she  has  had  no  instruction  whatever  in  the 
mysteries  of  physiology,  her  aunt  and  uncle,  and  nearly 
all  others  of  that  faith,  regarding  such  instruction  as 
the  height  of  indecency,  and  unfit  for  a  virgin  to  even 
have  mentioned  in  her  presence.  As  a  consequence, 
when  Myrtle  cohabited  with  her  lover  she  was  totally 
ignorant  of  the  consequences,  and  in  her  innocence  and 
ignorance,  when  she  began  to  notice  the  changes  which 
are  the  symptoms  of  pregnancy,  she  went  to  her  aunt, 
to  whom  she  naturally  looked  for  advice  and  instruc- 
tion, and  asked  her  what  it  meant.  Imagine  her  dis- 
may, when  her  aunt  had,  by  a  few  shrewd  questions, 
discovered  the  truth,  which  Myrtle  made  no  effort  to 
conceal,  when  she  was  informed  that  she  was  an  out- 
cast from  the  comfortable  home  in  which  she  had  been 
reared,  and  that  those  to  whom  she  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  look  for  protection  were  now  her  most  bitter 
enemies,  following  her  with  a  mercilessness  which  even 
prevented  her  from  being  harbored  by  another  relative 
who  was  more  compassionate.  Driven  from  shelter, 
bounded  by  those  who  should  have  been  her  protectors, 
insulted  by  a  lecherous  scoundrel  and  rebuffed  by  every- 
body with  whom  she  came  in  contact,  after  (wo  nights 
and  three  days  of  despair,  she  sought  rest  in  the  waters 


60  LOMA, 

of  Lake  Michigan,  and  found  it  in  the  sympathizing 
bosom  of  your  family." 

"Thanks  to  your  opportune  appearance,  and  your  su- 
perb rescue,"  interrupted  the  doctor. 

"All  of  which  was  for  a  purpose,"  resumed  Loma. 
"My  appearance  at  that  moment  was  in  obedience  to  a 
natural  law  which  I  had  no  power  to  resist  and  in  ful- 
fillment of  my  destiny  and  yours. 

"For  the  accomplishment  of  my  mission  in  the  trans 
lation  of  germs  of  thought,  the  following  conditions  are 
necessary:  First,  there  must  be  a  vehicle,  sent  from 
the  precedent  planet  to  the  succeedent,  as  I  have 
already  explained.  I  am  the  vehicle,  and  the  thougnis 
are  in  my  possession. 

"Second,  there  must  be  a  young  and  impressionable 
female  who  is  in  a  state  of  pregnancy,  and  advanced  as 
far  as  the  fourth  month,  at  which  time  it  is  possible  for 
her  to  impress  her  offspring  with  the  germs  of  thought 
which  she  may  receive  from  conversation  with  the  per- 
son who  bears  the  germs  to  her  in  that  manner. 

"Third,  the  offspring  with  which  she  is  pregnant 
must  be  of  such  superior  quality,  and  she  herself  must 
be  such  an  impressionable  medium  of  communication 
between  her  instructor  and  her  offspring,  that  the  best 
possible  results  may  be  obtained  from  the  process. 

"I  am  delighted  to  state  that  in  the  present  case  all 
of  these  requirements  are  met,  and  that  the  offspring 
with  which  Myrtle  Burnham  is  pregnant  is  as  perfect 
as  it  is  possible  for  human  beings  at  this  stage  of  the 
world's  progress  to  produce.     Her  boy  will  be  a  com- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  61 

plete  reproduction  of  all  her  own  good  qualities,  resem- 
bling his  mother  in  form  and  feature,  reinforced  by  a 
superb  vitality  from  Iris  father,  and  such  other  and 
further  excellencies  as  I  shall  be  able  to  impress  upon 
him  with  your  assistance.  Being  conceived  in  the  pur- 
est expression  of  love,  at  a  time  when  both  his  parents 
were  in  the  best  possible  condition,  he  will  develop  into 
a.  teacher  and  writer,  the  like  of  which  has  never  been 
seen  upon  this  earth,  for  he  himself  will  be  pregnant 
with  great  truths,  the  utterance  of  which  will  revolu- 
tionize society." 

Doctor  Bell  could  no  longer  contain  himself.  He 
embraced  Loma  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  affectionate 
nature,  exclaiming,  "It  is  grand!  Magnificent!  Suit- 
lime!  My  entire  personal  resources  and  services  are  at 
your  disposal  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  noble  pur- 
pose. But  tell  me,  dear  friend,  why  have  I  been  hon- 
ored by  being  selected  to  aid  you  in  your  grand 
mission?" 

"You  have  furnished  a  practical  answer  to  your  own 
question,  my  dear  1  not  her,"  said  Loma.  "Your  own  su- 
perb character,  inherited  from  the  best  of  mothers, 
your  advanced  and  liberal  ideas,  your  magnificent  gen- 
erosity, and  your  ample  fortune,  which  you  eminently 
deserve,  have  all  combined  to  make  you  the  one  man  of 
all  the  world,  capable  and  worthy  to  aid  me  in  this,  the 
grandest  of  all  enterprises." 

"I  am  yours  to  command,  at  any  sacrifice,"  exclaimed 
the  doctor,  "lint  before  we  terminate  this  interesting 
conversation,  T  wish  to  ask  you  a  few  more  questions, 


62  LOMA, 

You  have  stated  that  the  sun  does  not  radiate  light  or 
heat.  I  should  infer,  therefore,  that  the  sun,  like  this 
earth,  is  a  world,  perhaps  having  substantially  similar 
physical  characteristics,  and  only  differing  from  this 
earth  in  the  fact  of  being  older  and  larger  by  growth, 
as  earthly  parents  are  older  and  larger  by  growth  than 
their  infant  progeny.     Am  I  correct?" 

"Precisely." 

"How,  then,  do  you  account  for  the  phenomena  of 
light  and  heat  which  seem  to  be  developed  by  the  sun's 
rays  as  soon  as  he  rises  above  the  horizon?" 

"You,  of  course,  understand,  from  what  I  have  al- 
ready said,  that  the  sun,  being  a  living  organ,  composed 
of  matter,  is  radiating  constantly  an  emanation  of  mag- 
netism, which,  having  a  natural  affinity  for  space, 
penetrates  space  as  far  as  his  influence  is  capable 
of  making  itself  felt.  Of  course  a  certain  amount  of 
this  magnetism  strikes  that  side  of  the  earth  which  is 
presented  to  the  sun." 

"Certainly." 

"Now,  coldness  is  the  phenomenon  of  electricity  and 
composure.  Hotness  is  the  phenomenon  of  magnetism 
and  fervency.  Darkness  is  the  phenomenon  of  recep- 
tivity and  gravity,  while  light  is  the  phenomenon  of 
radiation  and  vibration.  To  be  more  explicit,  in  the 
ratio  in  which  electricity  and  composure  dominate  over 
magnetism  and  fervency,  we  have  coldness  as  a  result; 
hence  it  is  colder  on  that  side  of  the  earth  which  is 
turned  away  from  the  sun,  because  there  is  no  mag- 
netism striking  that  side,  and  it  is  in  a  state  of  com- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  63 

posure.  On  the  other  side,  that  is,  the  side  next  to  the 
sun,  the  rays  of  magnetism  are  striking-  the  atmosphere 
of  the  earth  and  penel  rating  to  its  surface,  and  Ave  have 
magnetism  dominating  over  electricity,  and  heat  is 
produced,  and  it  is  more  intense  as  the  ray  is  more 
vertical  or  direct.  The  heat,  therefore,  which  our  con- 
sciousness ascribes  to  the  sun  is  really  generated  in  the 
atmosphere  of  the  earth,  by  the  magnetism  of  the  sun 
striking  a  resisting  medium.  The  proof  of  this  is 
found  in  the  fact  that  the  higher  we  ascend  into  the 
atmosphere  of  the  earth  the  colder  it  becomes,  because 
as  the  atmosphere  becomes  more  rare  the  sun  ray  is 
less  restrained.  Beyond  the  outer  atmospheric  limits, 
heat  is  impossible  until  another  atmosphere  is  reached. 

"Darkness  is  exhibited  in  the  ratio  that  receptivity 
and  gravity  dominate  over  radiation  and  vibration. 
Conversely,  light  is  exhibited  in  the  ratio  in  which 
radiation  and  vibration  dominate  over  receptivity  and 
gravity.  Consequently,  on  that  side  of  the  earth  upon 
which  we  have  the  radiation  of  the  sun's  magnetism, 
and  the  vibrations  of  the  atmosphere  caused  thereby . 
we  have  light.  Beyond  the  outer  limits  of  the  atmos- 
phere, light  is  as  impossible  as  heat,  until  another 
atmosphere  is  reached. 

"This  explains  why,  as  I  have  said,  there  is  no  reason 
for  supposing  that  the  sun  is  a  blazing  mass.  This 
conception  grows  out  of  the  impression  produced  upon 
the  consciousness,  which  is  a  totally  unreliable  guide. 
It  is  just  as  absurd  to  believe  that  the  earth  is  fiat,  yet, 
until  science  proved  the  contrary,  such  was  the  uni- 
versal belief." 


64  LOMA, 

"Recent  experiments  have  certainly  shown,  that  the 
higher  we  go  in  balloon  ascensions,  and  the  closer  we 
get  to  the  outer  limits  of  the  atmosphere,  the  darker 
and  colder  it  becomes,"'  said  the  doctor. 

"Certainly,"  said  Loma.  "Now,  if  the  observer  at 
high  altitude  had  a  mirror,  if  your  commonly  accepted 
hypothesis  were  correct,  he  should  be  able  to  reflect  as 
bright  an  image  of  the  sun  as  he  can  at  the  surface  of 
the  earth.  We  know  this  is  not  the  case;  and  if  he 
were  beyond  the  outer  limits  of  the  atmosphere,  he 
could  not  get  any  image  at  all,  for  under  such  condi- 
tions light  and  heat  are  both  impossible." 

"But,"  said  the  doctor  musingly,  "if  such  is  the  case, 
how  does  it  happen  that  light  is  developed  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  moon  which  has  no  atmosphere?" 

"There  is  no  light  or  heat  from  the  sun,  developed  on 
the  moon.  The  rays  of  the  sun's  magnetism  which 
strike  the  surface  of  the  moon  are  reflected  to  this 
earth,  and  passing  into  our  atmosphere  produce  light, 
which  enables  us  to  form  an  image  of  the  moon.  But 
if  an  observer  could  be  translated  to  the  center 
of  the  apparently  illuminated  surface  of  the  moon, 
he  would  find  himself  in  total  darkness  and  absolute 
cold,  as  far  as  the  sun  is  concerned.  All  the  heat 
which  the  moon  has  is  internal  heat  generated  by 
its  own  fervency  of  magnetic  passion,  which  is  very 
small  comparatively  until  it  passes  from  incu- 
bation to  actual  activity.  Then  it  will  form 
an  atmosphere,  and  the  magnetism  of  the  earth, 
acting  through  the  laws  we  have  just  discussed,  will 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  65 

give  it  light  and  heat,  as  the  sun  gives  light  and  heat 
to  the  earth.  When  the  sun  dies,  there  will  be  no  per- 
ceptible  diminution  of  heat  and  light  on  the  moon,  for 
the  earth  will  be  the  source  of  its  supply. 

"Our  solar  center,  the  sun,  has  heat  and  light  on  its 
surface,  developed  by  its  parent,  a  super-solar  center, 
around  which  our  sun  revolves.  This  super-solar  cen- 
ter is  too  remote  for  us  to  determine  whether  it  has  a 
revolution  around  an  extra-super-solar  center  or  not. 
It  is  probable  that  it  has,  but  if  our  super-solar  center 
is  the  center  of  a  complete  stellar  system,  which  is 
true,  if  its  more  remote  ancestors  are  dead,  then  this 
super-solar  center  is  enshrouded  in  perpetual  and 
almost  total  darkness  and  frigidity,  for  although  radi- 
ating magnetism  itself,  it  is  receiving  none,except  from 
very  remote  stars,  which  would,  of  course,  afford  the 
same  quantity  of  starlight  we  receive,  but  hardly  an 
appreciable  degree  of  heat.  When  it  has  become  de- 
pleted and  has  expired,  then  our  sun  and  all  his  brother 
suns  who  revolve  around  the  same  super-solar  center 
will  become  centers  of  complete  stellar  systems,  and 
will  be  perpetually  shrouded  in  darkness  and  frigidity. 
But  they  will  continue  to  animate  their  children  with 
the  radiation  of  their  magnetisms  until  they  in  turn  are 
depleted.  When  this  finally  occurs,  this  earth  will 
have  grown  by  accretion,  as  I  have  already  described, 
to  the  dimensions  of  its  parent,  our  present  sun,  more 
or  less,  according  to  the  conditions  of  its  existence,  as 
is  exhibited  in  all  other  growths.  In  the  light  of  this 
philosophy,  the  destinies  of  your  father,  the  earth,  and 


66  LOMA, 

my  father.  Venus,  are  something  glorious  to  eon- 
template." 

"Why  do  you  say  'father?' "  inquired  the  doctor. 

"Because  each  world  is  masculine,  being  composed  of 
matter,''  replied  Loma.  "Space  is  the  universal  mother 
of  us  all " 

"This  is  a  sublime  philosophy,"  exclaimed  Doctor 
Bell.  "My  dear  Loma,  you  have  in  one  brief  interview 
given  me  a  better  grasp  of  the  mysteries  of  astronomy 
than  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  in  years  of  study.  I 
will  not  press  you  with  more  questions  at  this  time,  but 
will  take  immediate  measures  to  secure  your  personal 
comfort  Now,  what  is  your  pleasure  in  regard  to  your 
clothing  and  the  employment  of  your  time?" 

"I  am  not  accustomed  to  the  use  of  clothing  of  any 
kind,"  said  Loma.  "In  Venus  we  have  long  since  out- 
grown the  barbarism  of  that  practice.  A  very  large 
per  cent,  of  disease  which  afflicts  the  inhabitants  of 
this  planet  is  due  to  the  habit  of  wearing  the  absurd 
costumes  which  are  seen  on  your  streets.  Moreover, 
the  outrageous  belief  that  the  exposure  of  the  human 
form  is  indecent  is  responsible  for  most  of  the  sexual 
crimes  which  afflict  your  civilization." 

"I  have  long  believed  that  to  be  true,"  said  the  doctor, 
"and  my  mother,  who  is  one  of  the  purest  and  best 
of  women,  from  my  infancy  has  inculcated  the  same 
doctrine.  She,  my  father  and  myself,  always  enjoyed 
the  luxury  of  a  sunbath  in  the  conservatory,  which  my 
father  built  for  the  purpose  and  which  I  shall  be 
pleased  to  introduce  you  to.    Here  in  my  home,  sur- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS  67 

rounded  by  my  faithful  servants,  all  of  whom  owe  their 
lives  to  my  professional  services  in  some  way  or  anoth- 
er, we  are  perfectly  safe  in  the  prosecution  of  any 
actions  which  we  may  deem  conducive  to  health  or 
morality,  without  consulting  our  neighbors.  But  if 
you  expect  to  visit  other  localities,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  conform,  to  some  extent  at  lenst,  to  the  customs  of 
those  who  are  not  as  far  advanced  as  ourselves,  in  or 
der  to  avoid  unpleasant  consequences." 

"That  is  true,  and  in  the  immediate  future  we  will 
give  that  subject  proper  consideration.  If  you  will 
give  me  the  freedom  of  the  conservatory  you  mention, 
and  the  use  of  your  library,  T  shall  be  perfectly  com- 
fortable. Tn  the  meantime,  T  desire  to  cultivate  the 
acquaintance  of  your  mother  and  Myrtle.  I  greatly 
prefer  to  meet  them  as  I  am,  for  it  is  intolerable  to  me 
that  their  first  impressions  of  myself  should  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  ridiculous  effects  which  would  be  pro- 
duced if  I  were  attired  in  any  of  the  fantastic  costumes 
which  have  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  per- 
sonality of  your  citizens." 

"My  mother  will  be  delighted  to  meet  you,"  said  the 
doctor,  rising.  "And  now,  if  you  will  excuse  me,  I  will 
attend  for  a  few  hours  to  other  duties.  I  will  join  you 
again  in  time  for  lunch,  and  in  the  interim  I  will  have 
arranged  for  your  complete  entertainment.  With  your 
permission,  I  will  now  conduct  you  to  the  conservatory, 
where  you  may  entertain  yourself  until  I  can  again 
avail  myself  of  your  delightful  companionship." 


68  LOMA. 

So  saying  the  doctor  took  Loma  by  the  arm  and  con- 
ducted him  to  the  second  floor  of  his  residence.  At 
the  top  of  a  broad  flight  of  steps  he  unlocked  a  large 
door,  and  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty  delighted  the 
expectant  eyes  of  the  citizen  of  Venus. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE  ANNUNCIATION. 

"Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  and  blessed  is  the  fruit 
of  thy  womb!" 

When  Myrtle  Burnham  opened  her  eyes  on  the  day 
following  her  attempted  suicide,  it  was  with  an  ex- 
quisite sense  of  rest,  luxury  and  safety.  The  treatment 
she  had  received  at  the  hands  of  Doctor  Bell  and  his 
mother,  the  gracious  sympathy  of  the  latter,  and  above 
all  the  impression  that  she  was  now  with  friends  upon 
whom  she  could  rely,  filled  the  mind  of  the  girl  with 
hope  and  thankfulness.  The  events  of  the  three  pre- 
ceding days  were  too  severe  and  momentous  for  her  to 
understand,  and  she  did  not  attempt  it.  She  only 
knew,  that,  whereas,  she  had  before  felt  like  a  hunted 
fawn,  pursued  by  dogs  and  harassed  by  enemies,  she 
now  had  a  delicious  sense  of  protection,  comfort  and 
congenial  association.  It  is  one  of  the  curious  facts 
of  human  constitution,  that  the  most  delightful  sensa- 
tions are  those  which  immediately  ensue  upon  the  relief 
of  pain.  Myrtle  was  now  experiencing  one  of  these 
reactions.  When  she  entered  the  room  in  which  she 
was  now  lying,  she  was  in  a  state  of  complete  collapse, 
caused  by  fear,  exhaustion  and  shock.     Under  the  kind 

(G9) 


70  LOMA, 

and  intelligent  ministrations  of  Mrs.  Bell  these  painful 
impressions  had  passed  away,  and  she  had  sunk  into  a 
delightful  slumber,  or  rather  an  ecstasy  of  relief,  in 
which  all  consciousness  became  lost  in  a  succession  of 
dreamy  impressions  of  goodness.  This  was  succeeded 
by  a  heavy  slumber  which  lasted  until  after  12  o'clock 
noon,  when  nature  asserted  herself,  and  she  slowly 
awoke  to  a  comprehension  of  her  situation.  For  a  long 
time  she  lay  with  her  eyes  closed,  while  the  events  of 
the  past  three  days  and  nights  passed  slowly  in  review 
before  her  mental  vision.  Her  conversation  with  her 
aunt,  the  horror  of  her  expulsion,  her  adventures  on  the 
street,  her  attempted  suicide  and  her  rescue  by  Loma 
and  the  doctor,  seemed  to  her  like  the  phantasmagoria 
of  an  awful  dream.  They  did  not  disturb  her,  and  so 
complete  was  her  sense  of  present  safety  that  they 
merely  formed  a  dark  background  to  the  sweeter  im- 
pressions of  her  interview  with  Mrs.  Bell. 

Slowly  the  blue  eyes  opened,  and  as  she  became 
accustomed  to  the  dim  light  which  came  through  win- 
dows which  had  been  carefully  shaded  by  the  faithful 
Nora,  in  order  that  her  sleep  might  last  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, Myrtle  became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  she  was 
lying  in  a  sumptuously  furnished  apartment,  the  ap- 
pointments of  which  reflected  luxury,  combined  with 
exquisite  taste.  Every  incident  of  the  furnishings 
seemed  to  be  a  part  of  a  harmonious  assemblage  of 
restf ulness,  comfort  and  hospitality.  Myrtle  was  so 
completely  impressed  with  this  fact  that  she  abandoned 
herself  once  more  to  the  sense  of  luxury  and  safety 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


71 


which  overwhelmed  her,  and  turning  over  in  the  bed, 
which  seemed  to  be  itself  charged  with  a  benediction, 
she  sighed: 
"Oh,  this  is  heaven  itself." 

"Are  yez  awake,  darlint,"  said  a  pleasant  voice,  and 
opening  her  eyes  once  more,  Myrtle  recognized  the  face 
of  the  maid  who  had  attended  her  the  night  before. 

"Oh,  yes,  and  T  have  had  such  a  delightful  dream. 
Oh,  this  is  so  nice,  and  you  are  all  so  kind." 

"Bless  your  swate  face,  who  could  be  unkind  to  the 
likes  of  you.  It  wouldn't  be  Nora  O'Grady,  an'  bad 
'cess  to  the  likes  of  them  that  ever  caused  you  the 
trouble  that  brought  the  tears  to  your  swate  eyes  last 
night.  But  yez  are  all  right  now.  Would  yez  like  to 
slape  some  more,  or  will  I  be  afther  helpin'  ye  with  yer 
twiletf 

"Thank  you,  Nora;  you  may  wash  my  face  if  you 
like,  and  comb  my  hair,  before  that  dear  lady  comes  in 
who  was  here  last  night.  I  presume  she  is  your  mis- 
tress." 

"Indade  she  is,  an'  sure  its  mesilf  wouldn't  be  livin' 
to-day,  if  it  wasn't  for  her  and  the  doctor,  her  son,  he  is. 
Ah!  but  he's  the  swate  gintleman!  an'  sure,  all  he  has 
to  do  is  to  look  at  a  body,  and  they  gets  well  in  spite  of 
themselves,  I'm  thinkin'." 

Amused  at  the  intense  loyalty  of  the  maid,  but  at  the 
same  time  mentally  conceding  that  the  praise  was  well 
placed,  Myrtle  submitted  to  her  manipulations  with  a 
further  sense  of  sympathy  and  comfort.  When  Nora 
had  bathed  her  face,  and  had  bound  back  her  luxurious 


72  LOMA, 

tresses  with  a  ribbon,  she  paused  and  looked  admiring- 
ly into  Myrtle's  face  and  said  with  genuine  Irish  appro- 
bativeness : 

"There  now,  you  look  as  if  you  were  ready  to  meet 
the  finest  lady  in  the  land,  an'  sure  that's  what's  comin'. 
Oh!  but  isn't  your  hair  purty.  But  the  missus  left 
orders,  as  how  I  was  to  get  your  breakfast  as  soon  as 
ye  waked  up,  an'  if  yez  like,  I'll  be  after  gettin'  it  at 
wanst." 

"Thank  you,  Nora.  I  am  really  hungry,  I  believe. 
I  did  not  eat  anything  yesterday,  and  I  begin  to  feel  as 
though  I  would  enjoy  a  breakfast." 

The  maid  withdrew,  and  in  a  few  moments  returned 
with  a  tray  containing  a  tempting  arrangement  of  sim- 
ple food.  A  dish  of  toast,  a  small  piece  of  steak,  done 
to  a  turn,  an  omelet  and  a  small  urn  filled  with  steam- 
ing liquid,  all  delicately  served  in  beautifully  decorated 
small  dishes.  A  bunch  of  Concord  grapes  and  an 
orange  completed  the  repast,  which  Myrtle  regarded 
with  the  interest  of  an  artist. 

"This  is  delicious,"  she  exclaimed  as  Nora  poured 
out  a  cup  of  the  liquid  from  the  urn.  "What  is  this, 
Nora?     It  is  not  coffee." 

"That's  restoria,"  said  Nora.  "It's  something  Mrs. 
Bell  invented  a  long  time  ago,  and  we  all  like  it.  Sure, 
you'll  never  get  a  drink  of  coffee  in  this  house.  They 
don't  have  anything  here  that's  any  harm  to  any  one. 
There's  no  liquor  in  the  cookin',  nor  in  the  house,  for 
that  matter,  and  the  missus  wouldn't  let  me  cousin, 
what  comes  to  see  me,  light  bis  pipe  in  the  back  yard. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  73 

The  whole  premises,  as  the  doctor  calls  'em,  is  sacred 
to  health  and  goodness,  he  says,  and  sure  it's  himself 
that  does  be  spakin'  the  truth,  for  not  a  bit  of  sickness 
has  any  of  the  family  or  the  servants  had  since  I've 
known  'em,  and  that  be  six  years,  come  next  Christ- 
mas." 

While  Nora  was  thus  volubly  sounding  the  praises 
of  her  employers,  Myrtle  finished  her  breakfast  and 
leaned  back  against  the  pillows  of  the  luxurious  bed, 
with  a  delightful  consciousness  of  strength  regained. 
Nora   removed  the  tray,  and  said: 

"Now,  I'll  go  to  tell  the  missus,  that  yez  have  had  a 
good  breakfast,  and  that  yer  as  well  and  as  smilin'  as 
a  basket  of  chips." 

Nora  departed,  and  Myrtle  awaited  the  coming  of 
Mrs.  Bell  with  an  impatience  born  of  love  and  grati- 
tude. Nora  had  opened  one  of  the  windows,  and  the 
sunlight  was  streaming  in  and  falling  in  a  broad  ray 
across  the  bed.  To  the  mind  of  the  girl,  raised  so  sud- 
denly from  the  darkest  despair  to  the  brightest  of  hope, 
it  seemed  a  promise  of  happiness,  and  she  felt  her 
whole  being  warmed  with  the  magnetism  of  its  rays. 
While  she  was  breathing  a  prayer  of  thankfulness  and 
hope,  the  door  opened  and  Mrs.  Bell  advanced  to  the 
bedside.  Myrtle  threw  up  her  arms,  and  clasping  her 
benefactress  about  the  neck,  kissed  her  again  and 
again,  finally  burying  her  face  ou  her  shoulder  and 
bursting  into  a  Hood  of  tears. 

"()li,  l  love  you  so!  T  love  you  so!"  she  exclaimed 
when  her  emotion  had  calmed  sufficiently  for  her  to 


74  LOMA, 

speak.  "I  am  so  happy,  and  I  have  had  such  sweet 
dreams.  My  mother  came  to  me  last  night  and  kissed 
me  and  told  me  not  to  fear  anything  in  the  future. 
She  said  that  you  would  be  my  mother  here  on  earth, 
and  that  I  should  love  you  and  trust  you  as  I  would 
her,  and  I  do.  Oh,  I  would  love  to  be  as  good  as  you 
are." 

"You  shall  be  my  own  sweet  daughter,  Myrtle  dear, 
and  you  may  call  me  mother  if  you  like,  for  you  shall 
remain  with  me  henceforth,  and  it  will  be  my  loving 
duty  to  protect  and  cherish  you  as  you  deserve,"  said 
Mrs.  Bell,  as  she  kissed  her  tenderly  and,  as  Myrtle 
thought,  reverentially. 

"I  will  be  your  daughter,  and  I  will  love  and  respect 
you  in  all  things,"  said  Myrtle,  "for  you  have  certainly 
been  a  mother  to  me  when  I  most  needed  love  and 
sympathy." 

The  compact  was  sealed  with  a  long  and  loving  kiss, 
and  Myrtle  lay  upon  the  pillow,  holding  the  hand  of  her 
new  found  mother,  caressing  it  tenderly. 

"My  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  after  a  pause,  "are 
you  as  well  and  strong  as  you  appear  to  be,  this 
morning?" 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed.  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life.  I 
don't  believe  I  ever  felt  as  good.  I  am  so  happy  I  can- 
not express  myself." 

"Then  you  are  well  enough  to  have  some  important 
information  conveyed  to  you,  and  to  know  something 
which  will  still  further  increase  your  happiness?" 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed.     I  will  listen  to  anything  you  wish 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  75 

to  say,  for  I  know  it  could  only  be  good,"  and  Myrtle 
looked  inquiringly  into  the  eyes  of  Mrs.  Bell.  "But 
tell  ine  how  you  knew  my  name.  I  do  not  remember 
having  told  you." 

"You  did  not  tell  me,  dear,  but  since  you  went  to 
sleep  1  have  learned  your  whole  history,  and  that  from 
a  very  unexpected  source.  You  have  nothing  to  be 
ashamed  of,  but,  on  the  contrary,  your  destiny  is  so 
high  that  you  will  be  accounted  as  one  of  the  most 
blessed  of  women,  by  reason  of  the  very  facts  which 
have  seemed  for  the  time  to  bring  you  into  misfortune. 
You  have  been  in  love  with  an  excellent  young  man 
who  is  now  dead,  and  in  the  expression  of  your  love  for 
him,  you  did  something  which  your  uncle  and  aunt 
thought  was  very  disgraceful,  and  for  that  they  turned 
you  out  of  your  home.  I  know  all  about  how  you  tried 
to  get  work,  and  how  you  found  the  world  all  against 
you,  and  how  you  at  last  tried  to  find  relief  in  the  lake. 
I  tell  you  these  things  so  that  you  will  know  that  I 
know  all  about  them,  and  you  may  dismiss  them  from 
your  mind,  for  I  do  not  want  you  to  think  about  them 
any  more  than  you  can  help.  I  also  know  who  your 
father  and  your  mother  were,  and  you  have  every  rea- 
son to  be  proud  of  them.  Your  aunt  and  uncle  are 
good  people,  only  they  have  been  wrongly  taught,  and 
they  are  the  victims  of  the  false  philosophy  of  the  re- 
ligion they  profess.  They  thought  they  were  doing 
right  to  treat  you  as  they  did.  but  they  were  mistaken, 
and  it  is  your  duty  to  forgive  them,  and  love  them,  and 


76  LOMA, 

perhaps,  some  time,  you  may  teach  them  the  great  and 
glorious  truth." 

"It  seemed  dreadful  for  them  to  treat  me  as  they 
did,"  said  Myrtle,  "but  I  could  not  help  feeling  that 
they  were  laboring  under  some  horrible  mistake  all  the 
time.  They  liked  Albert,  and  seemed  to  think  that  he 
was  an  excellent  young  man,  and  I  heard  my  uncle  say 
once  that  he  was  a  perfect  gentleman.  They  never 
told  me  anything  about  what  we  did,  and  I  was  per- 
fectly ignorant.  I  knew  Albert  would  not  do  anything 
wrong  and  I  trusted  him.  If  he  had  not  been  killed,  I 
do  not  think  there  would  ever  have  been  anything 
said." 

"You  are  quite  right,  my  dear,  because  you  would 
have  been  married,  and  the  form  of  Christian  religion 
which  your  aunt  and  uncle  profess  teaches  that  mar- 
riage is  the  only  state  in  which  such  actions  as  you 
and  Albert  performed  are  permissible.  If  you  are  mar- 
ried, you  may  do  all  such  things,  even  regardless  of 
health  and  safety,  but  if  you  perform  that  act  outside 
of  marriage,  you  are  forever  disgraced  in  their  eyes." 

"Then  why  did  they  not  tell  me  about  it,  so  I  could 
have  avoided  it,"  exclaimed  Myrtle,  with  some  indigna- 
tion. "Neither  myself  nor  Albert  would  have  thought 
of  doing  anything  of  the  kind  if  we  had  known  it  was 
wrong." 

"That  is  one  of  the  peculiar  inconsistencies  of  Chris- 
tianity," said  Mrs.  Bell.  "While  they  condemn  such 
actions  as  the  vilest  form  of  sin,  and  visit  the  most 
condign  punishment  upon  the  violators  of  their  very 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  77 

singular  code  of  sexual  ethics,  they  consider  it  almost 
equally  vile  for  any  one  to  impart  any  information  upon 
the  subject,  and  some  of  the  best  men  aud  women  of 
this  country  have  been  imprisoned  and  many  more 
have  been  socially  ostracized  for  endeavoring  to  teach 
the  truth  in  regard  to  such  matters.  This  seems  all 
the  more  singular,  when  you  consider  that  Jesus  Christ, 
whom  they  profess  to  worship  as  God,  and  whose 
mother  they  venerate  as  the  most  blessed  of  women,  be- 
lieved and  taught  an  entirely  different  doctrine,  and 
Jesus  himself  was  born  as  a  result  of  the  violation  on 
the  part  of  his  mother  of  this  very  same  custom." 

"Is  that  what  they  mean  when  they  say  that  Jesus 
was  born  of  a  virgin?"  asked  Myrtle  wonderingly. 

"Certainly.  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  had  a 
lover,  exactly  as  you  have  had  Albert.  Like  you  they 
had  indulged  in  intercourse  without  marriage.  Subse- 
quently when  Mary  was  betrothed,  according  to  the 
custom  of  her  country,  to  a  man  named  Joseph,  she 
was  discovered  to  be  in  the  same  condition  that  you 
are  now,  that  is,  she  was  about  to  become  a  mother. 
Joseph,  being  a  kind-hearted  man,  did  not  wish  to  dis- 
grace her,  and  he  was  about  to  break  off  the  engage- 
ment privately,  when  he  had  a  dream  in  which  he  re- 
ceived the  impression  that  he  should  not  only  over- 
look her  condition,  but  that  he  himself  would  be 
greatly  honored  by  becoming  her  husband.  He  did 
so  and  became  her  protector,  and  when  her  child  was 
born  he  kept  it  as  his  own.  You  are  probably  familiar 
with  the  rest  of  the  story." 


78  LOMA, 

"Oh,  yes;  I  have  heard  it  in  Sunday  school  and  in 
church  many  times.  But  they  never  explain  that  part 
of  it." 

"No,  that  is  the  singular  part  of  it;  and  while  they 
worship  an  illegitimate  child,  as  they  term  it,  they 
drive  into  dishonor  and  starvation  all  mothers  of  sim- 
ilar children  to-day.  Now,  my  dear,  you  must  under- 
stand that  here,  in  this  house,  you  will  be  taught  a 
different  doctrine.  If  this  were  not  true,  we  would 
have  turned  you  out  last  night  like  all  the  rest.  We 
believe  in  and  practice  a  different  form  of  religion.  We 
believe  that  motherhood  is  the  highest  and  most  sacred 
duty  of  woman,  and  that  marriage  is  simply  an  ex- 
pedient invention  of  society.  We  believe  that  love  is 
the  real  law  of  reproduction,  and  that  as  you  and 
Albert  loved  each  other  dearly,  that  you  committed 
no  crime,  but  merely  violated  a  social  custom  of  which 
you  were  ignorant.  The  son,  of  which  you  will  be 
delivered  in  due  time,  will  be  a  lovely  child,  and  a 
thousand  times  better  in  every  element  which  makes 
a  good  man  than  the  average  child  that  is  born  in  wed- 
lock. Jesus  was  an  example  of  the  same  fact.  Now 
as  Nature  sets  her  seal  of  approval  upon  such  offspring, 
we  believe  that  man  has  no  right  to  condemn  them  for 
sins  they  never  committed." 

"I  could  not  see  how  it  could  be  a  crime  for  Albert 
and  myself  to  enjoy  each  other,  when  we  loved  so  dear- 
ly," said  Myrtle. 

"It  was  not  a  crime,  in  fact,  my  dear,  and  the  worst 
wrong  which  any  one  has  committed  has  been  in  leav- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VBNUS.  79 

ing  you  in  ignorance  and  then  condemning  you,  when 
you  had  no  chance  to  even  know  their  sentiment.  1 
wish  you  to  get  all  the  idea  of  guilt  out  of  your  mind 
as  soon  as  possible.  Believe  in  your  innocence  and 
virtue,  and  cultivate  your  self-respect  to  the  utmost,  for 
you  have  a  glorious  destiny.  And  now,  my  dear,  I  must 
tell  you  that  a  most  extraordinary  thing  has  happened 
in  your  case.  Do  you  remember  the  gentleman  who 
took  you  out  of  the  water  last  night?" 

"Not  very  well.  I  can  only  remember  that,  when  I 
jumped  into  the  lake,  I  was  immediately  seized  by  a 
strong  arm,  and  I  was  dazzled  by  what  seemed  to  be  an 
electric  light  all  around  me.  I  felt  something  like  elec- 
tricity go  all  through  me,  and  then  I  have  a  confused 
memory  of  voices  and  some  one  carrying  me  into  this 
room.  I  remember  you  best  of  all."  And  so  saying, 
Myrtle  smiled  and  kissed  the  hand  of  Mrs.  Bell  which 
she  still  held. 

"Very  well.  Then  I  must  tell  you  that  the  gentle- 
man who  rescued  you  is  now  in  the  house  as  our  guest. 
He  is  a  distinguished  scientist  from  another  country, 
and  it  is  through  him  that  we  have  learned  all  about 
you.  This  gentleman  is  of  the  same  religion  that  we 
are,  but  he  is  infinitely  more  advanced;  in  fact,  he  is, 
without  doubt,  the  greatest  teacher  now  on  earth.  He 
has  all  the  wonderful  powers  that  you  have  been 
taught  were  possessed  only  by  Jesus  Christ  and  his 
disciples.  These  powers  are  natural  to  all  men,  but  few 
men  become  good  enough  to  ever  learn  to  use  them. 
Now  I  come  to  the  most  wonderful  part  of  my   an- 


80  LOMA, 

nouncement  to  you.  This  gentleman,  whose  name  is 
Loma,  says  that  you  have  been  destined,  from  the  mo- 
ment of  your  conception  in  your  mother's  womb,  to  be 
the  mother  of  a  child  which  shall  develop  into  the 
grandest  teacher  the  world  has  ever  known.  This  child 
you  are  now  pregnant  with  has  been  conceived  by  you 
at  a  time  when  your  love  for  Albert  reached  its  purest 
and  best  expression,  and  it  is  destined  to  be  as  perfect 
as  it  is  possible  for  a  human  being  to  be  at  this  stage 
of  the  world's  history.  Loma  says  that  your  whole 
history,  up  to  this  time,  has  been  according  to  a  pre- 
arranged plan,  and  that  jour  meeting  last  night  was 
not  accidental,  but  controlled  by  the  same  great  power 
which  molds  the  destiny  of  the  universe.  His  mission 
is  to  teach  you  everything  that  is  good  and  true  and 
beautiful  during  the  remaining  months  of  your  preg- 
nancy, and  by  so  doing  he  will  be  able  to  implant  in 
the  forming  brain  of  your  child  the  germs  of  the  great 
truths  which  he  is  hereafter  destined  to  teach  to  the 
world.  Myrtle,  my  beloved  daughter,  is  it  not  glori- 
ous?" 

Unable  to  control  her  emotions  longer,  Mrs.  Bell 
rose  and  walked  the  floor  in  a  transport  of  sublime 
exaltation.  Myrtle,  who  had  listened  with  wonder  and 
amazement,  now  sprang  from  the  bed  in  an  ecstasy  of 
delight  and  threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  her  foster- 
mother,  crying  out,  "Oh,  mother,  my  darling  mother, 
what  happiness  this  is!  Oh,  Albert!  Albert!  if  you 
could  but  have  lived  to  hear  this!  Oh,  it  was  not 
wrong,  it  was  not  wrong!  Our  love  was  the  truest 
guide  after  all." 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  81 

Clasping-  the  palpitating  form  of  the  girl  in  her  arms, 
Mrs.  Bell  rained  kiss  after  kiss  upon  her  forehead  and 
upon  the  golden  hair,  which  had  become  loosened  from 
its  ribbon  and  now  Mowed  at  will  in  a  bewildering  mass 
of  gold  aronnd  tin1  queenly  head.  The  loose  robe 
which  enveloped  Myrtle's  slender  form  slipped  from 
her  shoulders  and  fell  to  the  floor.  In  all  her  life 
Mrs.  Bell  had  never  gazed  upon  a  vision  of  such  en- 
chanting loveliness  as  Myrtle  presented  as  she  stood 
upon  the  floor,  arrayed  in  nothing  but  the  garb  of  her 
own  complete  personal  beauty. 

With  a  quick  movement  of  her  left  hand  she  disen- 
gaged the  cord  which  fastened  the  wrapper  she  wore 
about  her  own  person,  and  in  a  moment  she  also  was 
without  adornment  other  than  her  own  splendid  per- 
sonality. Placing  her  arm  around  the  waist  of  Myrtle, 
she  led  her  toward  the  east  end  of  the  room,  which  was 
composed  of  two  large  folding  doors. 

"Take  me  to  Loma !"  cried  Myrtle,  as  she  clung  to  her 
benefactress  in  a  transport  of  joy.  "I  know  that  I  will 
love  him  and  that  he  will  love  me." 

"LOMA  IS  HERE!"  said  a  voice,  which  fell  upon 
their  ears  like  a  deep-toned  bell  sounding  amid  the  rush 
of  a  cataract  of  sweet  waters.  There  was  a  strain  of 
entrancing  music,  the  folding  doors  opened  noiselessly, 
and  revealed  the  conservatory,  in  the  midst  of  which 
stood  Loma,  with  arms  outstretched  iu  an  expression  of 
welcome,  his  body  illumined  by  the  magnetic  glow 
which  seemed  to  radiate  from  him  in  all  directions  in 
the  form  of  a  halo  of  glory.     As  Myrtle  and  Mrs.  Bell 


82  LGMA, 

entered  the  conservatory,  the  folding  doors  closed 
noiselessly  behind  them,  and  Lonia,  advancing,  em- 
braced them.  Myrtle  felt  the  wonderful  thrill  of  his 
personal  contact,  and  then  as  his  lips  met  hers,  she 
closed  her  eyes  and  sank  upon  his  breast  in  blissful 
unconsciousness. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


MYRTLE'S  FIRST  LESSON. 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Elizabeth  heard  the  saluta- 
tion of  Mary,  the  babe  leaped  in  her  womb;  and  Elizabeth  was 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  introduction  of  Myrtle  into  the  conservatory, 
and  her  first  impression  of  Loma,  had  been  carefully 
planned.  Doctor  Bell  had  informed  his  mother  of  the 
remarkable  character  of  Loma's  mission  to  the  earth, 
and  the  important  part  which  Myrtle  was  destined  to 
play  in  the  advancement  of  civilization.  With  superb 
tact,  Mrs.  Bell  had  conducted  the  announcement  to 
Myrtle  of  her  glorious  destiny,  and  just  at  the  moment 
when  the  delicate  and  impressionable  nature  of  the 
young  mother  was  at  the  highest  point  of  its  receptiv- 
ity, the  introduction  had  occurred.  That  it  was  in  the 
highest  degree  dramatic,  and  that  it  was  accompanied 
with  all  the  accessories  of  music  and  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  the  conservatory,  where  aesthetic  taste  com- 
bined with  wealth  had  produced  the  most  surpassing 
effects,  were  all  elements  which  combined  to  impress 
upon  Myrtle's  unborn  child  the  happiest  conditions  of 
organization.  Myrtle,  as  the  reader  has  already  been 
informed,  was  in  the  first  period  of  her  pregnancy, 
when  impressions  of  physical  beauty  can  be  mosl  sue- 

(83) 


84  LOMA, 

cessfiilly  made.  Her  association  with  Loma  was  de- 
signed to  impress  upon  her  offspring  the  most  desirable 
physical  and  mental  conditions.  Loma  had  been  intro- 
duced to  her  as  a  dazzling  vision  of  human  perfection. 
Himself  the  embodiment  of  all  that  is  good  and  beauti- 
ful in  human  character,  both  in  physical  and  mental 
attributes,  which  are  always  inseparable,  and  imbued 
with  a  lofty  conception  of  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of 
his  mission  to  the  earth,  it  is  not  strange  that  he  should 
have  glowed  with  the  highest  intensity  of  the  mag- 
netism which  was  a  part  of  his  glorious  nature.  In 
her  first  sweet  embrace,  received  from  the  being  who 
had  traversed  the  space  of  worlds  in  her  behalf,  Myrtle 
received  a  charge  of  magnetism  which  permeated  her 
whole  being  and  thrilled  her  in  every  nerve  and  cell  of 
her  organization.  In  an  instant  of  time,  the  superb 
personality  of  Loma  entered  into  her  being  and  became 
incorporated  with  it,  never  to  depart.  In  after  years 
the  memory  of  that  sweet  moment  was  sufficient  to  set 
every  center  of  her  brain  vibrating  with  intense  and 
delicious  ecstasy.  At  the  same  time,  the  sensitive 
embryo  within  her  womb  received  the  impression  of 
Loma's  character,  and  thenceforth  all  of  his  grand 
attributes  became  a  part  of  the  nature  of  the  unborn 
child.  The  quickening  effect  of  Loma's  magnetism  was 
such,  that,  at  the  moment  of  contact,  the  child  leaped 
in  the  womb  of  its  mother,  and  from  that  time  Myrtle 
was  conscious  of  its  presence. 

The  conservatory  in  which  this  extraordinary  event 
took  place  was  itself  a  bower  of  beauty.     It  was  built 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  85 

upon  an  elevation  in  the  rear  of  the  doctor's  residence, 
level  with  the  second  floor,  and  connected,  as  the 
reader  already  knows,  with  the  room  in  which  Myrtle 
had  slept  by  folding;  doors,  which  were  operated  by 
electricity.  It  was  also  reached  by  the  door  at  the 
head  of  the  stairs  in  the  hall  through  which  Loma  had 
been  introduced.  Tt  consisted  of  a  broad  dome  of 
stained  glass,  so  arranged  that  by  means  of  sliding 
panels  any  desired  quantity  of  sunlight  could, be  admit- 
ted or  excluded.  Artificial  heat  was  supplied  from  a 
furnace  in  the  room  beneath,  ami  cold  air  connections 
enabled  the  doctor  to  command  any  degree  of  tempera- 
ture that  might  be  desired,  in  any  condition  of  weather. 
Tn  the  center  of  the  conservatory  a  fountain  continu- 
ally played  and  filled  the  air  with  the  music  of  falling 
water.  Rare  plants  and  flowers  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  arranged  with  that  skill  which  only  is  exhibited 
by  those  who  have  long  studied  the  laws  of  beauty, 
shed  their  delicious  fragrance  and  filled  the  room  with 
exquisite  combinations  of  harmonious  colors.  Adjoin- 
ing the  conservatory,  and  really  forming  a  part  of  it 
by  an  extension,  was  a  music  room  containing  a  mag- 
nificent pipe  organ,  a  grand  piano,  and  several  portable 
musical  instruments.  Doctor  Bell  had  been  seated  at' 
the  organ  when  Myrtle  and  his  mother  entered,  and 
had  accompanied  their  entrance  with  the  subliniesl 
strains  of  which  his  musical  skill  was  capable.  lie 
had  controlled  the  movement  of  the  folding  doors  with 
an  electric  button,  at  a  signal  from  his  mother,  and  had 
been  largely  responsible  for  the  dramatic  effect  of  the 


86  LOMA, 

introduction,  having  received  his  instructions  from 
Lorua,  as  to  the  effect  the  latter  desired  to  produce. 
He  remained  at  the  organ  until  he  finished  the  march, 
when  he  left  it  and  joined  the  interesting  group  at  the 
fountain.  He,  also,  was  entirely  nude,  and  as  he  joined 
his  mother,  who  leaned  upon  his  shoulder  with  infinite 
pride,  he  presented  a  striking  picture  of  manly  grace 
and  physical  beauty. 

Loma  held  the  unconscious  form  of  Myrtle  for  several 
moments  in  a  loving  embrace.  Then  he  placed  her 
upon  a  couch  near  the  fountain,  and  pressing  one  long 
kiss  upon  her  brow,  stood  for  a  moment  contemplating 
her  with  an  expression  of  unspeakable  love  and  tender- 
ness. Mrs.  Bell  and  the  doctor  stood  upon  the  opposite 
side  of  the  couch,  and  gazed  entranced  upon  the  exhibi- 
tion of  beauty  before  them.  Loma's  body  continued  to 
glow  with  his  incomparable  magnetism,  and  so  great 
was  its  fervor  at  times  that  it  completely  dazzled  the 
two  witnesses.  Gradually  it  subsided  until  it  was 
evidenced  only  by  a  halo  of  magnetic  glory  around  his 
head.  When  he  had  reached  this  stage,  he  lowered  his 
hands,  which  until  this  time  he  had  held  over  Myrtle  in 
an  attitude  of  benediction.  Myrtle  opened  her  eyes 
with  an  exquisite  smile. 

"Oh,  I  thought  I  was  in  heaven  last  night,  but  now 
I  know  I  am.  You  all  wear  halos,  just  as  I  have  seen 
in  the  pictures  of  Christ  and  the  angels.  You  look  like 
angels.  I  am  one  myself.  I  am  happy.  This  is  Life. 
It  is  Love.     I  love  everything.     Everything  loves  me." 

Loma  took  both  of  Myrtle's  hands  in  his,  and  bending 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VKNUS.  87 

over  her  iii  an  attitude  of  superb  grace,  spoke  iu  a  tone 
which  mingled  with  the  music  of  the  fountain  in 
exquisite  harmony: 

"Beloved,  receive  the  Truth.  Nature  is  Love's  high- 
est, sweetest  expression,  as  Love  is  Nature's  supreme 
law.  Everything  which  is  natural  is  good.  Evil  is 
only  the  antagonism  and  repulsion  of  that  which  is 
contrary  to  Love.  Humanity  must  learn  to  love,  be- 
fore it  can  be  natural  or  good,  in  a  complete  sense. 

"It  is  impossible  to  love  that  which  is  unnatural.  It 
is  impossible  to  love  completely  that  which  is  not  com- 
pletely revealed.  As  long  as  humanity  is  presented  to 
the  senses  in  an  unnatural  way,  love  is  impossible,  and 
it  can  never  be  complete  until  humanity  is  completely 
revealed. 

"The  religions  of  the  past  have  degraded  humanity, 
and  priests  and  kings  have  taught  that  humanity  is 
vile,  in  order  that  it  might  lose  self-respect  and  be  more 
easily  enslaved.  Men  and  women  have  been  taught  to 
regard  their  bodies  as  vile,  and  that  those  members  of 
the  body  which  were  directly  used  to  reproduce  human- 
ity were  especially  to  be  held  in  dishonor.  Men  have 
been  ashamed  of  their  manhood;  women  have  blushed 
for  the  evidences  of  maternity;  all  have  covered  them- 
selves with  the  garb  of  disgrace.  The  belief  that  these 
organs  and  functions  were  dishonorable  has  caused 
them  to  be  put  to  dishonorable  uses.  Men  and  women 
will  not  cherish  and  cultivate  that  which  they  have 
been  taught  to  despise.  Because  of  this  fundamental 
error,  man  has  received  the  impression  that  his  mother 


88  LOMA, 

conceived  him  in  sin  and  disgrace,  and  hence  he  has 
not  respected  his  mother  nor  her  sex,  but  as  a  conse- 
quence woman  has  been  held  in  slavery  to  man.  This 
degradation  will  continue  as  long  as  woman  is 
ashamed  o*  her  person,  or  is  ashamed  of  maternity,  for 
slave  mothers  never  yet  produced  a  race  of  freemen. 

"The  long  night  of  slavery,  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion is  past.  The  glorious  dawn  of  liberty  is  at  hand. 
You  are,  at  this  moment,  enveloped  in  the  first  rays  of 
the  advancing  sunrise  of  intelligence.  The  experi- 
ences of  this  moment  will  never  be  forgotten  by  you, 
and  will  be  received  by  your  sweet  offspring  in  embryo, 
to  be  by  him  developed  and  expanded  and  transmitted 
to  a  world  which  is  hungry  for  the  Truth.  From  this 
supreme  moment  you  will  be  proud  of  your  body,  and  of 
the  maternity  of  which  it  is  the  beautiful  and  appro- 
priate instrument.  Your  child  will  never  blush  for  his 
manhood,  and  he  will  revere  and  love  the  body  of  his 
mother,  and  through  her,  the  body  of  all  that  humanity 
it  is  his  mission  to  bless. 

"Nature  has  scourged  humanity  with  a  long  train 
of  frightful  diseases,  caused  by  the  reabsorption  of  the 
excreta,  thrown  off  by  perspiration,  which  is  absorbed 

by  the  unnatural   clothing  so  universally  worn  and 

reabsorbed  by  the  skin.     The  covering  of  the  body  has 

made  it  unduly  sensitive  to  changes  of  temperature, 

and  many  of  its  sweetest  and  best  powers  have  been 

lost.     Men  have  become  careless  as  to  cleanliness,  for 

it  has  been  easier  to  cover  filth  than  to  remove  it. 

Frightful  and  distorted  fashions  have  been  invented 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  89 

and  the  original  beauty  of  the  form  has  been  destroyed, 
But  the  worst  and  most  degrading  fact,  in  the  whole 
train  of  calamities,  is  the  false  conception  of  human 
nature  which  has  taken  the  place  of  the  true  standard 
of  manhood  and  womanhood.  The  children  of  men  do 
not  know  what  a  true  man  or  Avoman  is,  and  hence 
they  form  no  true  ideal  of  character,  and  do  not  strive 
to  attain  to  any.  The  conception  of  womanhood  which 
exists  in  the  minds  of  most  men,  is  a  dress,  a  face  and 
a  bonnet.  With  equal  force  it  may  be  said  that  most 
women  think  of  a  man  as  a  cloth  suit,  surmounted  by  a 
face  and  a  hat.  True  manhood  and  womanhood  lies 
buried  beneath  the  product  of  the  tailor  and  the  dress- 
maker. Until  manhood  and  womanhood  can  be  re- 
vealed in  its  completeness  no  conception  of  it  can  be 
formed  by  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  the  coming 
generations,  and  a  correct  generation  is  impossible. 

"Generation  can  only  be  accomplished  by  the  trans- 
mission of  magnetism.  This  transmission  is  accom- 
plished by  personal  contact,  at  the  time  of  conception, 
and  during  gestation.  It  is  impossible  to  completely 
transmit  magnetism  when  the  bodies  of  the  parents 
are  insulated  in  clothing.  Yet  most  of  the  conceptions 
of  humanity  on  this  earth  take  place  when  the  parents 
are  at  least  partially  robed,  and  under  the  cover  of 
darkness,  when  it  is  impossible  for  a  true  conception  to 
result,  hence  most  men  are  only  fragments  of  the 
humanity  they  misrepresent. 

"Conception  is  not  confined  to  I  he  lime  of  the  im- 
pregnating intercourse.     The  mother  receives  new  im- 


90  LOMA, 

pressions  daily  from  those  with  whom  she  comes  in 
contact.  Unless  she  receives  impressions  constantly 
from  the  free  and  untrammeled  forms  of  good  men  and 
women,  she  cannot  endow  her  offspring  with  their 
attributes.  Unless  she  is  free  and  untrammeled  her- 
self, her  capacity  for  receiving  magnetic  influence  is 
destroyed. 

"Rise,  beloved,  and  enjoy  your  liberty.  Embrace 
those  who,  like  yourself,  have  passed  beyond  the  de- 
grading influences  of  conventional  laws  and  customs, 
and  who  are  pure,  as  their  thoughts  and  motives  are 
pure.  In  these  delightful  surroundings,  and  amid 
these  sweet  and  pure  associations,  submit  your  own 
fair  body  to  the  reception  of  the  germs  of  truth  it  is 
my  mission  to  implant !" 

So  saying,  Loma  raised  Myrtle  from  the  couch,  and 
embracing  her  and  imprinting  upon  her  lips  a  raptur- 
ous caress,  delivered  her  to  the  no  less  enthusiastic 
and  affectionate  congratulations  of  the  doctor  and  Airs. 
Bell.  Love  reigned  supreme,  and  mingling  with  the 
perfume  of  the  flowers  and  the  music  of  the  fountain,  in 
one  delicious  harmony,  was  the  exquisite  aroma  of 
human  magnetism  in  its  highest  and  best  expression. 

When  the  first  enthusiasm  of  this  transcendent 
experience  had  in  part  subsided,  the  doctor  arranged 
four  luxurious  easy  chairs  near  the  fountain,  and  the 
four  friends,  who  were  so  closely  united  in  the  develop 
ment  of  a  higher  civilization,  held  an  earnest  conversa 
tion.  Notwithstanding  the  exciting  experiences  she 
had  passed  through  so  recently.  Myrtle's  mind  was 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  91 

well  balanced,  and  while  she  was  only  beginning  to 
realize  her  high  destiny,  she  was  neither  unduly 
exalted  nor  in  any  manner  removed  from  the  sweet 
womanliness  which  was  a  very  conspicuous  part  of 
her  character.  She  received  the  caresses  of  her  friends 
with  a  hearty  reciprocation  of  affection,  but  she  also 
] deserved  her  dignity,  and  when  Loma  made  any  sug- 
gestion, he  found  in  her  an  attentive  and  earnest 
listener. 

"I  love  to  hear  you  talk,"  she  said  to  Loma.  "1  do 
not  think  I  have  ever  met  any  one  like  you.  You  seem 
to  be  like  a  person  from  another  world." 

"I  am  from  another  world,'-  replied  Loma,  and  in  a 
few  brief  sentences  he  conveyed  to  her  the  information, 
which  is  already  in  the  possession  of  the  reader,  regard- 
ing his  origin.  Myrtle  accepted  his  statement  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  for  his  extraordinary  character  and  the 
peculiar  impression  of  truthfulness  which  was  a  part 
of  his  manner  left  no  room  for  doubt. 

"This  is  all  so  new  to  me,"  she  said  to  Loma  after  a 
pause,  "that  I  am  not  sure  that  I  fully  comprehend  it. 
Of  course  it  is  all  so  different  from  what  I  have  been 
taught.  Now  that  I  comprehend  that  everything  that 
1  learn  from  you  will  be  implanted  in  the  brain  of  my 
child,  I  am  anxious  to  have  a  clear  impression.  I 
understand  from  your  statements,  that  it  is  natural 
to  be  nude,  and  that  we  are  unhealthy  because  we  are 
not.  lint  how  is  such  a  custom  to  be  maintained  in 
this  climate?  Do  the  inhabitants  of  Venus  remain  in 
a  nude  state  at  all  times?" 


92  LOMA, 

"In  tropical  countries,  on  this  planet,"  said  Loraa, 
"the  natives  who  live  naturally,  remain  nude  most  of 
the  time,  and  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in  the  water. 
Man  is  originally  a  native  of  the  tropical  zone,  and  it 
is  only  as  he  has  moved  north  that  the  necessity  for 
clothing  became  apparent.  His  excursions  were  first 
of  a  limited  extent,  and  of  short  duration,  and  he 
availed  himself  of  the  covering  of  the  skins  of  beasts, 
to  protect  him  from  temporary  discomfort.  Subse- 
quently, as  he  increased  the  extent  of  his  excursions 
northward,  he  allowed  the  habit  to  become  fixed  and 
disregarded  the  law  of  nature  that  would  have  pro- 
vided him  with  abundant  natural  protection,  if  he  had 
been  content  to  go  more  slowly  and  allow  his  body 
to  become  adapted  to  the  climate.  It  is  true,  thai 
when  the  continent  of  South  America  was  explored, 
whole  tribes  of  natives  were  found  at  the  extreme 
southern  extremity,  where  the  climate  is  much  more 
rigorous  than  is  the  climate  of  Chicago,  who  were  en- 
tirely nude  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  and  who  enjoyed 
excellent  health.  The  advent  of  Christian  mission- 
aries wrought  a  sad  change  in  the  condition  of  these 
natives.  They  were  persuaded  to  adopt  the  custom 
of  wearing  clothing,  and  in  a  short  time  hundreds  of 
them  died  with  consumption  and  various  forms  of 
catarrh.  The  almost  universal  prevalence  of  catarrh 
in  this  climate,  and  the  hundreds  of  deaths  from  con- 
sumption, are  due  to  the  same  cause.  Until  jour  people 
learn  to  expose  the  body  and  allow  the  skin  to  have 
its  natural  action,  you  cannot  become  clean.     The  ex- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS  93 

creta  which  is  thus  arrested  is  reabsorbed  and  most 
be  thrown  out  of  the  body  in  some  other  way.  The 
lungs  and  the  mucous  linings  of  the  various  canals  of 
the  body  become  overtaxed,  and  the  result  is  the 
numerous  and  offensive  diseases  which  afflict  mankind. 
In  Venus  we  have  advanced  to  that  degree  of  civiliza- 
tion that  the  energies  of  men  and  women  are  not 
absorbed  in  the  conquest  of  land  or  finances.  We  have 
a  limited  population  and  we  inhabit  only  the  best 
climates,  and  as  we  have  abundant  leisure  for  enjoy- 
ment, we  are  habitually  nude.  If  it  becomes  necessary 
for  any  purpose  to  expose  the  person  to  the  rigors  of 
an  unaccustomed  climate,  a  sufficient  protection  is 
worn,  but  such  conditions  rarely  occur,  and  are  only 
experienced  by  the  adventurous  portion  of  the  com- 
munity who  desire  to  make  explorations,  or  those  who 
are  engaged  in  transportation.  The  regular  apart- 
ments of  dwellings,  workshops  and  other  places  of 
habitual  resort  are  all  kept  at  such  a  temperature  as 
is  approximately  the  mean  average  temperature  of  the 
atmosphere.  Under  such  conditions  the  body  is 
allowed  its  full  liberty.  We  are  universally  a  healthy 
people,  and  disease  is  regarded  as  a  disgrace." 

"My  experience  as  a  medical  practitioner  has  con- 
firmed all  that  you  say,"  said  Doctor  Bell,  "and  I  must 
give  my  excellent  mother  here  the  credit  for  having 
first  called  my  attention  to  it.  This  doctrine  is  not 
taught  in  the  medical  colleges,  but  I  have  always  been 
able  to  cure  catarrh  and  incipient  consumption  when- 
ever I  could  persuade  a  patient  to  live  in  pure  air,  in  an 


94  LOMA, 

equable  temperature,  aud  be  habitually  uude  aud  prar- 
tice  bathing  to  the  fullest  extent.  Our  sanitariums 
benefit  patients  very  greatly  by  energetic  baths,  mas- 
sage and  various  forms  of  exposure,  but  it  is  only 
recently  that  these  methods  have  had  any  standing  as 
therapeutic  agents."' 

"The  hardest  thing  that  I  have  encountered  in  my 
efforts  to  introduce  this  practice,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  "is 
the  apparent  impossibility  of  persuading  patients  to  do 
enough  of  it.  Patients  do  not  like  to  be  alone,  and 
they  cannot  be  persuaded  to  be  nude  in  a  sociable  way. 
If  men  and  women  could  recover  from  the  awful  sense 
of  shame  which  seems  to  beset  them  when  they  are 
exposed  to  the  view  of  others,  it  would  not  be  difficult 
to  insure  healthy  conditions." 

"I  have  always  been  taught,"  said  Myrtle,  "that  this 
sense  of  shame  was  natural,  and  that  it  was  the  chief 
guard  of  virtue,  and  that  if  I  did  not  have  it  1  was  very 
immodest.  I  must  confess,  however,  that  I  could  never 
see  any  good  reason  for  it,  and  if  it  were  so,  why  should 
babies  be  exposed.  Mothers  are  always  proud  of  the 
chubby  arms  and  legs  of  their  babies,  and  frequently 
expose  their  beautiful  bodies  to  the  admiring  gaze  of 
their  friends  of  both  sexes,  and  no  one  thinks  it  is 
wrong.  But  these  same  mothers  would  be  awfully 
ashamed  to  expose  themselves  in  the  same  way.  And 
I  have  noticed  another  peculiar  thing.  Young  girls, 
who  would  faint  if  their  gentlemen  friends  saw  them 
in  their  underclothing  onl}T,  will  go  in  bathing  in  suits 
that  are  made  on  a  pattern  that  exposes  more  of  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  '  95 

body  than  the  underclothing  docs  and  think  nothing 
of  it.  They  expose  their  breasts  and  arms  in  full 
evening  dress,  but  are  filled  with  consternation  if  a 
tear  in  another  style  of  dress  should  expose  half  as 
much  of  the  person  in  the  same  locality." 

"The  exposure  of  the  person,"  said  Loma,  "is  entirely 
a  matter  of  fashion.  As  soon  as  it  becomes  fashion 
able  to  wear  a  style  of  dress  which  last  year  was  con- 
demned as  indecent,  the  devotees  of  fashion  are  eager 
to  adopt  it.  Let  the  enlightened  conscience  of  a  people 
declare  that  it  is  unfashionable  to  wear  health-de- 
stroying clothing,  and  as  soon  as  people  became  accus- 
tomed to  it,  you  would  hear  no  more  of  this  false 
modesty.  True  modesty  consists  in  being  ashamed  of 
that  which  is  wrong.  If  the  sense  of  shame  were 
naturally  associated  with  the  condition  of  nudity,  chil- 
dren would  manifest  it  as  soon  as  they  began  to  be 
conscious  of  their  surroundings.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
they  do  not  until  they  are  chided  and  shamed  into 
manifesting  it,  and  it  generally  takes  some  time  to 
establish  it  then.  There  are  some  sensitive  natures 
which  seem  to  show  it  very  early,  but  they  are  the 
offspring  of  mothers  who  were  ashamed  of  the  condi- 
tion of  maternity,  and  such  offspring  usually  pass 
through  the  world  apologizing  for  their  existence. 

"The  most  remarkable  fact  in  this  condition  is  the 
strange  prejudice  with  which  people  of  all  religions 
founded  upon  the  Bible  view  the  subject.  The  Bible 
contains  abundant  authority  for  the  defense  of  habit- 
ual   nudity,    and    it    is    strange   fchat    some    vigorous 


96  LOMA, 

expounder  of  so-called  sacred  history  has  not  immortal- 
ized himself  by  exposing  the  true  meaning  of  certain 
well-known  passages.  The  circumstances  of  the  plant- 
ing of  germs  of  thought  for  the  advancement  of  civiliza- 
tion are  well  recorded  in  the  Bible  if  the  correct  inter- 
pretation were  understood." 

"Do  you  mean  that  this  process  has  been  repeated 
before,  and  that  other  citizens  of  Venus  have  visited 
this  earth  for  this  purpose?"  asked  Myrtle,  wonder- 
ingly. 

"Certainly,"  said  Loma.  "Every  important  advance 
in  civilization  on  this  earth  has  been  brought  about  in 
this  way.  In  every  case,  it  was  necessary  for  the  par- 
ties to  be  brought  together  in  a  nude  state,  just  as  we 
aire,  for  it  is  impossible  for  the  communication  to  be 
made  when  the  magnetisms  of  the  communicants  are 
insulated  in  clothing.  To  receive  a  communication  of 
this  kind,  it  is  necessary  for  the  parties  to  be  in  a 
state  of  perfect  purity,  and  to  have  their  minds  above 
all  forms  of  disagreeable,  indecent  and  lascivious 
thought.  As  soon  as  the  element  of  lust  is  present, 
the  communication  is  destroyed.  It  is  not  always 
necessary  for  the  whole  person  to  be  nude  in  order  to 
get  a  communication  of  minor  importance,  but  if  the 
communication  is  of  great  importance,  nudity  is  essen- 
tial, because  it  is  necessarj^  that  there  should  be  a 
complete  and  powerful  transmission  of  magnetism. 
Only  those  persons  who  have  attained  to  such  a  degree 
of  magnetic  perfection  that  the  rays  are  intense  and 
highly  visible  are  capable  of  being  translated  from  one 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  97 

world  to  another,  or  of  making  the  sublime  impression 
which  is  necessary  to  the  transmission  of  germs  of 
thought.  The  magnetic  glow  which  you  see  at  limes 
radiating  from  my  person  is  the  badge  of  my  office,  and 
the  evidence  of  my  fitness  for  my  mission.  When  T 
am  engaged  in  some  great  effort  you  see  that  the  glow 
becomes  intense.  When  the  effort  is  less  intense  the 
glow  diminishes,  but  it  is  never  entirely  absent.  My 
translation  from  Venus  to  the  earth  was  accomplished 
over  an  electrical  conduit,  one  end  of  which  was  at 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  of  Alusia  in  Venus  and  the 
other  in  the  end  of  Lake  Michigan  near  Chicago.  When 
T  caught  our  beloved  Myrtle  from  the  lake,  I  was  in  a 
glow  from  my  transit,  which  made  the  doctor  think 
I  was  using  an  electric  light.  You  have  seen  a  similar 
exhibition  of  its  power  here  to-day.  If  I  should  ap- 
proach you  at  such  a  time  when  you  are  arrayed  in 
your  customary  clothing,  the  resistance  to  my  magnet- 
ism would  be  so  great  that  an  intense  heat  would  be 
generated  which  would  burn  your  clothing  and  prove 
fatal.  When  you  are  nude,  as  I  am,  the  transmission 
of  the  magnetic  current  is  uninterrupted,  and  you  are 
not  injured,  but  on  the  contrary  delighted  and  strength- 
ened. In  Venus,  the  transmission  of  pure  and  highly 
cultivated  magnetism  is  the  highest  art  of  social  inter- 
course. It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  argue  with  you 
that  this  can  only  be  attained  while  the  parties  are  in 
a  state  of  perfect  health  and  the  correct  use  of  all  their 
faculties.  Xow,  if  you  will  bring  me  a  copy  of  the 
Bible,  1  will  call  your  attention  to  certain  passages 


98  LOMA, 

which  are  more  or  less  familial'  to  you,  but  upon  which 
I  shall  be  able  to  throw  some  new  light." 

Doctor  Bell  withdrew  from  the  conservatory  for  a 
moment,  and  quickly  returned  with  a  copy  of  the  Bible 
in  his  hand.  Loma  received  it  and  opened  it  while 
his  three  auditors  drew  near  with  breathless  interest. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


NEW  LIGHT   ON   THE   BIBLE. 

"Seeing  then  that  we  have  such  hope,  we  use  great  plainness 
of  speech." 

"The  first  instance  of  a  communication  between  this 
planet  and  Venus  which  is  recorded  in  the  Bible,''  said 
Loma,  as  he  opened  the  book,  "is  found  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Genesis.  The  story  of  Adam  and  Eve  in 
the  garden  of  Eden,  while  subject  to  a  great  many 
erroneous  impressions  among-  those  who  accept  it  liter- 
ally, as  here  recorded,  is  far  from  being  the  myth 
which  it  is  considered  by  some.  The  real  facts  are 
these.  Adam  and  Eve  were  two  highly  cultivated  and 
advanced  persons  who  had  been  selected  and  trained, 
by  the  powers  who  have  selected  us  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose, to  be  the  receptacles  of  germs  of  advanced 
thought.  For  that  purpose  they  were  isolated  in  the 
garden,  and  were  delightfully  cared  for  and  educated, 
by  persons  selected  for  that  high  office,  as  you  have 
been  for  the  education  of  Myrtle's  offspring.  In  order 
that  they  might  be  pure,  healthy  and  happy,  they  had 
been  nude  from  childhood.  The  story  opens  in  this 
chapter,  at  the  time  when  the  representative  of  ad- 
vanced civilization  from  Venus  began  to  communicate 
willi  them.     In  the  Bible  this  personage  is  called  the 

(99) 


100  LOMA, 

Lord  God,  because  he  represented  to  them  a  guardian 
of  all  good.  The  words  literally  mean,  'Ruler  for 
Good.'  Adam  and  Eve  continued  to  receive  his  com- 
munications and  to  live  in  happiness  and  purity.  The 
Bible  says : 

"'And  they  were  both  naked,  the  man  and  his  wife,  and 
were  not  ashamed.'' 

"They  had  not  reached  the  time  when  sexual  inter- 
course was  permissible,  for  under  the  laws  of  nature, 
properly  understood,  the  sexual  act  must  be  prefaced 
by  a  long  period  of  culture,  in  order  that  it  may  be  in 
the  highest  degree  enjoyable,  and  that  the  best  results 
may  flow  from  it.  The  'serpent'  spoken  of  in  the  third 
chapter  was  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  of  the 
lower  strata  of  society,  who  was  fascinating  in  manner, 
and  'more  subtle  than  any  beast  of  the  field.'  He 
invaded  the  garden  and  succeeded  in  seducing  Eve, 
and  in  arousing  her  passions  to  an  extent  which  ren- 
dered her  desirous  of  continued  intercourse.  Her  se- 
ducer having  departed,  to  obtain  relief,  she  appealed 
to  Adam  and  succeeded  in  inducing  him  to  share  in  her 
unholy  pleasure.  This  intercourse,  participated  in  by 
them  prematurely,  for  the  mere  gratification  of  desire, 
and  not  for  its  high  and  legitimate  functions,  caused 
a  serious  weakening  of  all  the  functions  of  the  sexual 
organs,  producing  disease,  and  so  changed  their  ap- 
pearance that  Adam  and  Eve  became  frightened,  and 
thus  discovered  that  the  'fruit  of  the  tree,'  that  is  the 
fruit  of  their  unholy  intercourse,  was  to  give  them  a 
knowledge  of  the  difference  between  good  and  evil,  for 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  101 

whereas  they  had  up  to  this  time  lived  perfectly  vir- 
tuous lives,  and  hence  knew  not  the  effects  of  evil,  this 
unfortunate  action  showed  them  the  consequences  of 
a  violation  of  Nature's  law.     Realizing,  in  part,  the 
consequences  of  disobedience,  and  afraid  to  meet  their 
instructor  and  friend  in  a  condition  which  they  knew 
he  must   detect,  they  hid  themselves  and  resorted  to 
fig  leaf  aprons.     The  consequence  of  this  disobedience 
was,  that  they  lowered  their  mental  and  moral  status 
to  such  a  degree  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
fulfill  the  high  mission  to  which  they  had  been  called, 
and  they  were  rejected,  and  sent  out  of  the  garden, 
and  were  compelled  to  associate  with  their  fellow  men 
and  women  on  an  equal  plane.     Hence,  thereafter,  they 
were  compelled  to  toil  for  a  living,  and  eat  bread  in  the 
sweat  of  their  faces." 

"How  very  interesting,"  exclaimed  Doctor  Bell. 
"There  are  a  number  of  cases  of  similar  communica- 
tions related  in  the  Bible,"  said  Loma,  "but  the  cir- 
cumstances are  not  always  set  forth  in  detail.  One  of 
the  best,  however,  is  this  one  in  the  third  chapter  of 
Exodus,  in  which  one  of  our  citizens  was  sent  to 
instruct  Moses,  to  prepare  him  for  the  movement  which 
resulted  in  the  exodus  of  the  Jews  from  Egypt,  which 
has  had  as  much  to  do  with  the  advancement  of  civil- 
ization as  any  event  in  the  history  of  the  world.  In  the 
second  verse  0f  this  chapter,  it  says: 

"'And  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in  a 
flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a  bush,  and  he  looked, 


102  LOMA, 

and  behold,  the  bush  burned  with  fire,  and  the  bush  was 
not  consumed.' 

"You,  of  course,  understand  why  the  bush  was  not 
consumed  by  the  magnetic  glow,  which  emanated  from 
the  person  of  the  'Angel,'  which  was  mistaken  by  Moses 
for  fire.     But  mark  the  sequel : 

'"And  when  the  Lord  saw  that  he  turned  aside  to  see, 
God  called  unto  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the  bush  and  said, 
Moses,  Moses.     And  he  said,  Here  am  /.' 

"'And  he  said,  Draw  not  nigh  hither;  put  off  thy  shoes 
from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is 
holy  ground.'' 

"Moses,  according  to  the  custom  of  shepherds  in 
that  climate,  was  already  nude,  except  shoes  or  sandals 
for  the  feet,  and  the  inference  is,  that  he  lost  no  time 
in  obeying  the  warning,  for  he  was  afraid,  and  he  hid 
his  face.  The  incident,  however,  shows  that  nudity  is 
a  necessity  in  such  communications,  for  the  reasons  I 
have  already  stated.  It  is  amusing,  however,  to  see 
that  'The  Lord'  does  not  tolerate  the  wearing  of  cloth- 
ing in  his  presence,  and  then  see  the  efforts  made  by 
those  who  profess  to  be  his  followers  to  claim  that  it 
is  necessary  to  decency.  It  simply  shows  that  those 
who  attempt  to  interpret  the  Bible  as  a  system  of  wor- 
ship and  theology  have  entirely  mistaken  the  nature  of 
the  persons  who  have  from  time  to  time  appeared  as 
'The  Lord'  and  as  'Angels,'  and  that  their  whole  system 
of  interpretation,  theology  and  morals  is  rotten  and 
utterly  unfounded  on  fact. 

"Passing  over  numerous  other  instances  found   in 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  103 

the  Old  Testament,  we  come  to  one  which  more  nearly 
concerns  us,  as  it  furnishes  the  immediate  precedent 
for  my  own  mission,  and  was  accomplished  under  very 
similar  circumstances.  I  allude  to  the  case  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

"In  the  highest  and  best  sense,  Jesus  was  the  son 
of  God.  But  since  the  beginning  of  time,  God  has 
never  violated  a  natural  law  to  accomplish  the  designs 
of  His  creation.  He  always  works  according  to  His 
own  great  eternal  principles,  and  in  the  case  of  Jesus, 
while  the  circumstances  of  his  conception  and  birth 
are  marvelous  to  the  mind  of  man,  who  does  not  com- 
prehend the  extraordinary  conditions  which  accom- 
pany the  transmission  of  germs  of  good  influences  from 
precedent  planets  to  suceeedant  ones,  yet,  in  every  case, 
natural  laws  are  obeyed. 

"Before  you  can  comprehend  the  extraordinary  char 
acter  of  the  conception  and  birth  of  Jesus,  you  must, 
know  that  this  tremendous  presence  which  men  wor- 
ship under  different  names  as  God,  is  the  great,  univer- 
sal creative  Energy,  which  molds  the  destinies  of  stars 
and  planets  with  the  same  unerring  righteousness 
with  which  it  deals  with  the  growth  of  vegetation  and 
the  evolution  of  animal  life.  With  the  first  glimmer- 
ings of  reason,  man  realizes  his  dependence  upon  this 
power,  and  he  personifies  it,  ascribing  all  his  good 
fortune  to  the  beneficence  of  a  Good  spirit  and  all  of  his 
troubles  to  an  Evil  one.  As  he  advances  in  intel- 
ligence and  lea  ins,  thai  everything  in  nature  is  good, 
;i ii<]  thai  his  troubles  are  only  Ihe  corrective  influences 


104  LOMA, 

of  goodness  toward  him,  he  eliminates  the  devil  from 
his  theology  and  learns  to  cast  himself  trustfully  upon 
the  goodness  of  an  Infinite  Heavenly  Father,  whose 
best  expression  conies  to  him  in  the  natural  processes 
of  the  universe  which  surrounds  him.  It  is  natural, 
therefore,  that  he  should  forever  keep  in  his  mind  a 
high  conception  of  a  Great  Power  which  is  infinitely 
good,  infinitely  just,  omnipresent,  omnipotent  and  om- 
niscient. 

"The  higher  man  advances  in  the  scale  of  intel- 
ligence the  more  perfect  becomes  his  knowledge  of  his 
Creator.  He  learns  to  divest  Him  of  the  puerile  at- 
tributes of  the  personality  with  which  he  first  ex- 
pressed his  conception  of  God,  and  to  acknowledge  his 
inability  to  define  the  Infinite.  When  he  has  reached 
this  stage  he  is  ready  to  study  God  as  He  reveals  him- 
self in  Nature,  and  then  it  is  that  he  begins  to  be  able 
to  comprehend  the  working  of  the  great  law  of  inter- 
planetary transmission.  I  will  briefly  explain  the 
working  of  this  law,  by  saying  that  every  good  and 
perfect  gift,  originating  with  the  center  of  Creative 
Energy,  is  transmitted  by  it  to  every  super-solar  center, 
by  them  to  solar  centers,  and  from  them  to  their  attend- 
ant children,  the  planets  and  satellites.  The  universe, 
filled  with  starry  constellations,  thus  becomes  a  grand 
machine  for  the  distribution  of  the  unfathomable  good- 
ness of  God,  and  all  that  man  should  do,  instead  of 
disputing  over  dogmas  and  doctrines,  is  simply  to  look 
above  him,  and  hold  out  his  hands  to  receive  to  the 
limits  of  his  capacity  the  blessings  which  will  come  as 
the  reward  of  his  faith  and  expectancy. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  105 

"In  Venus  we  have  reached  this  stage.  We  do  not 
have  any  churches  or  priests  to  quarrel  over  disputed 
doctrines.  We  have  learned  to  seek  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  His  righteousness,  by  living  perfectly  natural 
lives.  Recognizing  that  God  is  Love,  we  have  learned 
the  science  of  love  and  practice  it.  And  when,  in  the 
course  of  nature,  an  extraordinary  wave  of  Love,  com- 
ing down  from  the  center  of  Creative  Energy,  reaches 
us,  we  have  learned  to  recognize  it  and  to  accept  it. 

"Jesus  Christ  was  the  product  of  such  a  wave.  The 
same  wave  of  Infinite  Love  which  produced  such  mar- 
velous effects  upon  this  planet  at  the  birth  of  Jesus, 
permeated  the  entire  universe  with  beneficent  effects. 
But  you  must  realize  that  upon  a  world  as  far 
advanced  in  growth  as  our  sun,  the  conditions  of  life 
and  growth  are  as  far  in  advance  of  our  conditions  as 
the  radiation  of  his  superb  magnetism  exceeds  in 
power  that  which  we  may  receive  from  another  planet 
of  our  own  solar  system.  Compare  the  heat  and  light 
developed  by  magnetism  received  by  this  planet  from 
Venus  with  that  developed  by  magnetism  received 
from  the  sun,  and  you  have  a  fairly  accurate  idea  of 
the  difference  in  the  conditions  of  life  and  growth 
on  the  two  spheres.  Grand  as  are  our  conditions  upon 
Venus,  as  compared  with  conditions  existing  upon  this 
earth,  xvt  we  realize  that  there1  are  conditions  yet  to 
be  reached  in  the  progress  of  growth  that  are  as  entire- 
ly beyond  our  present  comprehension  as  the  glory  of 
the  sun  is  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  human 
eye.     We    do   not,   therefore,  attempt    to   explain    the 


106  LOMA, 

methods  by  which  God  deals  with  His  children,  but 
accept  His  mercies  with  simple,  child-like  faith.  This 
faith,  however,  gives  us  the  power  to  reach  a  better 
comprehension  of  the  natural  phenomena  that  accom- 
pany the  manifestations  of  the  extraordinary  impulses 
of  His  goodness  that  we  from  time  to  time  receive. 

"To  explain,  therefore,  the  natural  phenomena  at- 
tending the  conception  of  Jesus,  I  will  say  that  just 
previous  to  that  conception  an  extraordinary  impulse 
of  Divine  goodness  was  transmitted  to  Venus  through 
Mercury  and  the  sun,  which  culminated  in  the  most 
marvelous  growth  of  the  virtues  among  the  inhabit- 
ants of  our  planet.  In  fact,  we  passed  into  a  condition 
which  has  been  quite  accurately  described  by  the  writ- 
ers of  your  sacred  books  as  the  millenium.  The  mil- 
lenium  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  is  at  hand,  and  the 
mission  of  Myrtle's  offspring  is  to  introduce  it,  and 
when  it  has  worked  out  its  grand  results,  it  will  send 
the  germs  of  its  goodness  onward  to  Mars  and  the 
succeeding  planets  beyond  the  earth.  Now,  when  this 
wave  of  goodness  reached  its  height  on  Venus,  all  of 
its  best  and  highest  impulses  were  crystallized  into 
the  organization  of  a  superbly  perfect  man  named 
Manrolin,  who  was  selected  as  the  bearer  of  these  influ- 
ences to  the  earth,  and  he  became  the  'Angel  of  the 
Lord'  who  appeared  to  Mary,  announced  his  mission 
and  secured  the  conception  by  her  of  the  greatest 
character  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

"I  have  said  that  in  the  highest  and  best  sense 
Jesus  was  the  son  of  God.     He  was  the  natural  son  of 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS  107 

Manrolin,  who  represented  in  his  personality  the  direct 
concentration  of  an  extraordinary  impulse  of  goodness 
from  God,  transmitted  through  the  natural  channel. 
Manrolin  was  the  male  vehicle  of  the  germ  of  goodness, 
as  Mary  was  the  female  receptacle.  The  product  of 
their  union  was  the  first  perfect  man  who  ever 
appeared  upon  the  face  of  this  earth.  In  his  perfection 
of  humanity  he  was  the  representation  of  G-od  to  man, 
as  the  highest  conception  of  God  which  can  be  formed 
in  the  human  mind  is  perfect  goodness,  and  (his  Jesus 
thoroughly  typified.  In  so  far  as  he  was  born  of  an 
earthly  mother,  he  was  earthly  and  human,  as  that 
word  is  applied  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  planet.  In 
so  far  as  he  was  the  result  of  a  conception  of  a  germ 
borne  to  Mary  from  sources  beyond  the  earth,  he  was 
suiter-human  but  not  super-natural.  He  brought  to 
the  world  the  essentials  of  a  complete  philosophy 
which  has  never  been  successfully  attacked.  After 
passing  through  his  remarkable  history  on  this  planet 
he  returned  to  the  source  of  Eternal  Goodness  from 
whence  he  came,  and  as  a  consequence  of  his  success 
ful  performance  of  his  mission  now  'sitteth  on  the  right 
hand  of  God,'  by  the  operation  of  a  perfectly  natural 
process  which  it  is  my  delightful  duty  to  explain  to 
you  at  a  future  time. 

"In  the  first  chapter  of  the  Gospel  according  to  St. 
Luke  the  circumstances  of  the  conception  and  birth  of 
-Icsus  are  set  forth  with  as  much  fidelity  as  could  be 
expected  of  a  narrator  who  wrote  many  years  after 
the  occurrence  of  the  facts  he  relates,  with  a   vivid 


108  LOMA, 

imagination,  somewhat  inflamed  with  religious  zeal. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  communication  was  given  by 
an  'angel  of  the  Lord,'  and  tradition  gives  us  a  descrip- 
tion of  this  personage,  as  he  was  probably  described 
by  Mary  In  the  paintings  produced  by  devout  artists 
this  'angel'  is  represented  as  a  man  of  great  personal 
beauty,  surrounded  by  the  magnetic  halo,  which  was 
undoubtedly  true.  The  inference  from  this  chapter,  as 
related  by  Luke,  is,  that  the  communication  was  made 
to  Mary  when  she  was  in  bed,  and  nude.  The  facts  of 
the  case,  as  related  in  the  histories  used  in  Venus,  are, 
that  Manrolin  was  intrusted  with  this  delicate  mission, 
and  came  to  the  earth  at  the  time  of  the  conception  of 
Jesus,  and  managed  it  with  consummate  wisdom  and 
skill.  First  he  introduced  himself  to  Mary,  as  record- 
ed in  this  chapter,  and  finding  her  in  bed,  and  nude, 
he  gave  her  a  communication  with  such  superb  mani- 
festations of  power  that  he  completely  won  her  con- 
fidence. 

"'And  Mary  said,  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord, 
be  it  unto  me,  according  to  thy  word.'' 

"Having  thus  completely  secured  the  affections  and 
cooperation  of  Mary,  Manrolin  presented  his  creden- 
tials and  assured  her  that  he  was  the  man  whom  God 
had  selected  as  the  father  of  the  coming  prodigy,  and 
they  being  complete  complements  of  each  other's 
natures,  love  at  first  sight  was  a  natural  consequence. 
In  this  way  Manrolin  produced  the  conception  of 
Jesus,  and  the  rest  was  a  comparatively  easy  task. 
Joseph,  who  was  in  every  way  fitted  to  become  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  109 

protector  and  guardian  of  the  child  and  his  mother, 
was  selected  for  that  office,  and  only  required  one  visit 
from  Manrolin  to  secure  his  hearty  cooperation.  It 
frequently  happens  that  the  person  who  is  selected  ns 
the  father  of  a  child  is  not  permitted  to  raise  it,  as 
many  persons  who  have  the  gifts  required  in  a  certain 
character  it  is  desired  to  secure  are  not  fitted  for  the 
responsibilities  of  child  culture.  It  was  so  in  the  case 
of  Jesus,  and  was  so  decided  in  the  case  of  Myrtle's 
offspring.  Joseph,  however,  being  a  man  of  advanced 
ideas,  accepted  the  trust  and  discharged  it  with  great 
fidelity,  and  with  the  cooperation  of  these  parties, 
Manrolin  succeeded  in  implanting  in  the  offspring  of 
Mary  and  himself  the  seeds  of  the  brilliant  and  humane 
philosophy  which  was  afterward  preached  with  such 
fervor  and  success  by  Jesus.  The  teachings  of  Jesus 
are  the  purest  and  best  the  world  has  had  up  to  the 
present  time,  and  have  been  the  source  of  great  prog- 
ress, but  have  often  been  obscured  by  the  distorted 
use  which  has  been  made  of  them  by  political  ma- 
chines, known  as  churches.  In  all  ages,  however,  since 
his  triumphant  mission,  there  have  been  those  who  have 
comprehended  and  taught  some  of  the  true  doctrines 
inculcated  by  him,  and  Manrolin's  success  won  for  him 
an  enviable  immortality  in  the  annals  of  illustrious 
achievements.  So  great  was  his  success,  that  his  sou 
and  protege,  Jesus,  was  enabled  to  attain  to  the 
eminence  of  being  himself  translated,  and  came  to 
Venus  at  the  close  of  his  illustrious  career  on  earth, 
where  he  was  received  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm 
and  where  he  finished  his  life  in  great  felicity." 


110  LOMA, 

"It  is  commonly  believed,"  said  Doctor  Bell,  "that 
Jesus  died  upon  the  cross  at  the  time  of  his  cruci- 
fixion, at  least  by  those  who  do  not  accept  the  Bible 
version  of  his  death  and  resurrection." 

"Neither  of  the  commonly  accepted  beliefs  in  regard 
to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  are  true,"  said  Loma. 
"The  facts  are,  that  Jesus,  when  he  had  suffered  upon 
the  cross  for  several  hours  and  mastered  all  the  depths 
of  human  sensation  and  misery,  which  was  necessary 
discipline,  being  a  master  of  hypnotism,  induced  in  him- 
self the  condition  of  catalepsy,  which  so  closely  resem- 
bles death  that  the  Roman  soldiers  were  completely 
deceived.  None  of  the  wounds  inflicted  on  hi  m  were 
fatal,  and  after  his  supposed  dead  body  had  been  deliv- 
ered to  Joseph,  he  was  placed  by  the  latter  in  the 
sepulchre,  where  he  remained  until  the  third  day.  At 
this  time  he  recovered  from  the  catalepsy  and  was 
released  from  the  sepulchre,  and  appeared  to  the  dis- 
ciples as  stated  in  the  Bible.  He  subsequently  depart- 
ed for  Venus,  in  the  sight  of  a  number  of  persons,  as  I 
hope  you  will  have  the  privilege  of  seeing  me  take  my 
departure  when  the  time  comes.  Jesus  succeeded  in 
developing  a  great  deal  of  magnetic  power  before  his 
crucifixion,  and  at  one  time  held  a  consultation  with 
two  distinguished  men  from  our  planet,  who  met  him 
on  top  of  a  high  mountain,  at  which  time  his  powers 
were  tested,  but  were  not  deemed  sufficient  to  attempt 
the  flight.  Subsequently  by  the  discipline  incident  to 
his  sufferings  he  developed  the  powers  of  his  mind  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  was  able  to  evolve  sufficient 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  HI 

magnetism  to  accomplish  the  wonderful  results  which 
marked  the  close  of  his  earthly  history.  If  the  true 
facts  iu  regard  to  the  life  of  Jesus  were  known,  man 
would  learn  the  value  of  discipline.  The  grandest  acts 
in  the  history  of  the  world  have  been  performed  by  men 
and  women  who  developed  the  ability  to  perform  them 
by  the  discipline  of  great  sorrows.  Inactivity  and  self- 
indulgence  are  the  greatest  destroyers  of  mental  power. 
The  circumstances  of  this  test  are  related  in  the  ninth 
chapter  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark,  and  the  men  were  mis- 
taken by  the  disciples  for  Moses  and  Elias.  They  were, 
in  fact,  two  of  the  distinguished  electricians  of  our 
planet,  who  had  managed  the  translations  of  Man- 
rolin,  and  who  succeeded  admirably  with  Jesus,  a  few 
days  after  his  crucifixion.  They  were  also  largely  in- 
strumental in  aiding  him  in  his  recovery  from  the 
catalepsy,  and  w7ere  the  two  men  in  shining  garmeuts 
mentioned  in  the  twenty-fourth  chapter  of  Luke. 
These  gentlemen  succeeded  in  producing  some  pecu- 
liarly brilliant  electro-magnetic  phenomena,  in  connec 
lion  with  Jesus,  on  various  occasions.  At  the  time  of 
the  so-called  transfiguration,  and  at  the  baptism  of 
Jesus  by  John,  they  succeeded  in  establishing  the  first 
telephonic  connection  betwreen  this  world  and  Venus, 
and  on  both  of  these  occasions  the  venerable  Manrolin, 
who  had  returned  to  Venus  long  before,  was  permitted 
to  send  his  voice  reverberating  though  many  million 
miles  of  space,  exclaiming  with  all  the  fervor  of  his 
great  paternal  love  and  solicitude,  'This  is  my  beloved 
son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.'    It  may  interest  you  to 


112  LOMA, 

know  that  Manrolin  lived  twenty  years  after  Jesus 
reached  Venus,  and  that  the  closing  years  of  his  life 
were  enriched  by  his  society.  Jesus  himself  lived 
about  seventy  years  in  Venus  after  reaching  society 
in  which  he  was  appreciated. 

"So  you  see,  my  dear  Myrtle,"  said  Loma,  affection- 
ately, as  he  concluded  this  remarkable  narrative,  ''the 
occurrences  you  have  been  taught  to  regard  as  the 
most  wonderful  and  miraculous  in  the  history  of  the 
world  are  susceptible  to  a  perfect  solution  under  natu- 
ral laws.  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  receive  this 
fact  as  a  permanent  impression,  for  your  child  can 
never  be  the  teacher  or  philosopher  we  desire  him  to 
be  unless  you  succeed  in  liberating  him  from  the  last 
vestige  of  belief  in  the  supernatural.  Nature  is  suf- 
ficient. There  is  nothing  supernatural,  and  there  is 
no  need  for  it." 

"I  am  thoroughly  convinced  of  that,"  said  Myrtle, 
"and  I  am  sure  my  child  will  be  free  from  everything 
which  can  in  the  least  enshackle  his  reason.  But  tell 
me,  has  any  one  else  ever  attained  to  the  degree  of 
eminence  necessary  for  translation,  and  is  there  any 
hope  that  my  child  could  progress  to  that  degree?" 

"There  is  every  hope,"  replied  Loma,  "and  one  of  the 
inducements  you  may  hold  out  to  him  is  the  great 
reward  which  awaits  him  if  he  proves  faithful  to  his 
trust.  Adam  and  Eve  could  have  attained  to  transla- 
tion if  they  had  not  permitted  unholy  lust  to  mar  their 
prospects  for  further  advancement.  Several  persons 
besides  Jesus  have  attained  to  translation  from  this 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  113 

earth  to  Venus.     Enoch  was  one,  but  the  circumstances 

are  not  set  forth  with  any  degree  of  detail  in  the  Bible. 
Elijah  was  translated  as  related  in  the  second  chapter 
of  the  second  book  of  Kings,  and  Elisha  mistook  the 
magnetic  glow  of  the  occasion  for  a  chariot  and  horses 
of  fire.  You  will  also  see  in  this  narrative,  that  the 
translation  occurred  when  Elijah  was  nude,  for  his 
mantle  fell  upon  Elisha,  when  he  had  no  further  use 
for  it." 

"Taking  all  of  these  facts  into  consideration,"  said 
Myrtle,  "I  think  it  is  wonderfully  stupid  on  the  part  of 
the  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  others  who  pretend  to 
study  the  Bible  exhaustively,  that  they  have  not  rec- 
ognized the  fact  long  ago,  that  the  higher  powers  which 
have  caused  the  events  recorded  in  the  Bible  to  happen 
have  always  recognized  the  nude  state  as  the  only  one 
conducive  to  health  and  happiness.  If  the  churches 
would  teach  this  truth,  it  would  not  be  long  before 
health  and  happiness  would  be  the  rule,  and  sickness 
and  misery  the  exception.  But  how  much  time  is 
wasted  on  useless  subjects,  and  no  real  information 
given  to  the  suffering  and  starving  people." 

"Exercise  patience,  my  love,"  said  Mrs.  Bell.  "All 
will  come  to  pass  in  due  time.  Trvith,  like  everything 
else,  must  have  its  growth,  and  your  mission  will  do 
its  part  toward  impelling  the  world  toward  that  glori- 
ous perfection  which  i!  seems  is  our  ultimate  destiny." 

Loma  turned  to  Myrtle  and  Mrs.  Bell  and  embraced 
them  affectionately,  saving, 

"My  treasures,  you  must  now  retire  to  your  rooms. 


114  LOMA, 

and  find  in  blissful  repose  for  one  hour,  that  which 
will  strengthen  memory  and  enable  you  to  retain  all 
that  you  have  received.  May  all  good  influences  be 
with  you  while  you  rest." 

As  the  ladies  withdrew  from  the  conservatory,  the 
doctor  played  a  beautiful  air  of  his  own  composition. 
The  folding  doors  opened  at  their  approach,  and  closed 
as  noiselessly  after  them  as  when  they  entered  the 
conservatory.  Then  the  doctor  arose,  and  drawing 
Loma's  arm  through  his  own,  conducted  his  distin- 
guished guest  to  his  own  bedroom. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING. 

"Forsivonoss  is  a  virtue  born  of  heaven. 
The  highest  attribute  of  gods  aud  men." 

When  Doctor  Bell  and  Lomn  retired  to  the  bedroom 
of  the  former,  the  auspicious  beginning  of  the  series  of 
impressions  which  Loma  was  commissioned  to  make 
upon  Myrtle  was  naturally  the  topic  of  their  conversa- 
tion. The  doctor  was  enthusiastic;  Lomn,  as  usual, 
quiet  and  dignified,  but  evidently  pleased  with  the  de- 
velopment of  the  situation. 

"A  better  woman  than  your  mother,  my  dear  Ed- 
ward," said  Loma,  affectionately  and  familiarly,  "never 
lived  upon  this  planet.  I  heard  much  of  her  through 
my  preceptors,  before  I  left  Venus,  but  I  must  confess 
that  they  did  not  more  than  do  her  justice.  We  are 
especially  fortunate  in  having  such  a  person  to  supple- 
ment my  efforts  in  behalf  of  Myrtle's  offspring,  for  it 
would  be  impossible  for  any  one  human  brain  to  en- 
tirely comprehend  the  depth  and  scope  of  what  I  have 
to  impart.  Now  that  I  have  in  some  measure  realized  the 
extent  of  the  aid  which  I  may  confidently  expect  from 
her  and  you,  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  complete  success 
of  my  mission.  I  am,  of  course,  anxious  that  my  work 
should  in  no  degree  fall  short  of  that  of  Manrolin;  and 

(115) 


116  LOMA, 

when  you  comprehend  the  tremendous  influences  that 
have  been  brought  to  bear  upon  civilization  through 
the  teachings  of  Jesus,  you  will  understand  what  an 
undertaking  lies  before  me,  when  I  tell  you  that  the 
powers  expect  fully  as  much,  or  more,  of  the  present 
object  of  our  solicitude." 

"It  is  well  that  the  outside  world  does  not  compre- 
hend the  nature  or  extent  of  your  undertaking,'"  said 
the  doctor,  "else  this  house  would  be  besieged  by  a 
curious  mob,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  chances  would 
be  about  equal  for  you  to  be  worshiped  as  an  angel 
or  crucified,  or,  what  amounts  to  the  same  thing  in 
these  times,  lynched  as  a  criminal." 

"Manrolin  had  to  contend  with  the  same  conditions," 
said  Loma,  "and  we  must  be  sufficiently  politic  not  to 
allow  any  untoward  circumstance  to  happen  which 
could  possibly  interfere  with  my  purpose.  Now  that 
my  most  important  communication  has  been  made  to 
Myrtle,  I  desire  that  she  should  have  the  utmost  free- 
dom, and  I  do  not  wish  to  weary  her  with  long  and 
tedious  lessons.  Whenever  I  have  an  impression  1o 
make  of  paramount  importance,  I  will  meet  her  in  the 
conservatory,  under  similar  circumstances  to  those  of 
this  day's  interview.  At  other  times  I  desire  her 
to  receive  impressions  of  less  importance,  in  ordinary 
conversation,  by  contact  with  desirable  persons,  and 
particularly  by  hearing  conversations  between  us  and 
those  of  good  abilities  who  hold  contrary  views.  By 
these  means  she  will  herself  become  very  much  bright- 
ened in  intelligence  and  in  the  scope  of  her  understand- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 

117 

ing.    All  of  this  will  have  a  desirable  effect  upon  her 
offspring,  and  I  expect  much  of  you  and  jour  mother  in 
aiding  me  in  earning  0ut  those  designs.     In  order  to 
do  this  it  is  necessary  that  for  part  of  the  time  I  should 
adopt    some    kind  of    costume.,  and  while  I  am  very 
averse  to  burdening  myself  with  the  conventional  cos 
tumes  worn  upon  your  streets,  which  would,  in  a  meas- 
ure, interfere  with  my  health,  as  well  as  my  comfort, 
I  must  wear  something,  at  least  when  we  go  in  public, 
to  avoid  the  opposition  of  the  vulgar  and  the  ignorant." 
"I  have  already  considered  that  problem,"  said  the 
doctor,  "and  T  will  endeavor  to  solve  it  to  your  com- 
plete satisfaction.     1  have  already  told  you  the  views 
which  both  my  mother  and  myself  entertain  upon  the 
question  of  nudity.    Now  I  have  endeavored  as  far  as 
possible  to  conform  to  what  I  consider  the  best  condi- 
tions of  health  and  hygiene,  and  so  in  this  house,  after 
my  professional  labors  are  over,  and  I  have  no  further 
occasion  to  go  out,  I  am  in  the  habit  of  being  nude  as 
much  as  possible.     I  have,  however,  found,  that,  owing 
to  inherited  conditions,  my  ancestors  for  so  many  gen- 
erations having  violated  the  laws  of  nature  in  this  re- 
spect, my  skin  is  too  sensitive  to  permit  of  my  being 
entirely  nude  to  the  extent  that  you  would  probably 
find  agreeable  and  safe.  Moreover,  I  have  induced  some 
of  my  immediate  associates  to  follow  the  same  custom 
for  tlie  benefit  of  themselves,  and  as  some  of  them  are 
ladies,  and  all  of  them  to  a  greal  extenl  afflicted  with 
the  absurd  fear  of  being  considered  immodest  if  they 
appeared  before  persons  of  the  opposite  sex  in  a  nude 


118  LOMA, 

state,  I  have  effected  a  compromise  which  has  been  at- 
tended with  the  happiest  results.  I  have  imported 
from  China  a  number  of  the  most  elegant  silk  gowns, 
which,  being  made  loosely,  do  not  interfere  with  the 
circulation  nor  distort  the  body,  and  simply  serve  the 
purpose  of  a  covering,  which  satisfies  the  vulgar  no- 
tion of  so-called  decency,  and  at  the  same  time  pre- 
serves the  comfort  and  health  of  the  wearer.  I  dis- 
pense entirely  with  underclothing  while  wearing  these 
gowns,  except  a  suit  of  the  lightest  cotton  netting, 
and  those  being  changed  every  day,  the  result  is  ap- 
proximately perfect  cleanliness,  and  at  least  the  most 
comfortable  and  cleanly  conditions  that  can  be  estab- 
lished short  of  a  complete  return  to  natural  conditions. 
Now  I  suggest  that  you  make  these  costumes  your  ha- 
bitual wear,  on  the  street  or  in  the  carriage,  and  at 
such  times  as  we  have  guests  in  the  house  who  are 
unaccustomed  to  our  more  radical  views.  I  will  to-day 
place  the  bedroom  at  your  disposal,  which  is  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  hall  from  Myrtle's,  from  which 
you  will  have  completely  free  access  to  the  conserva- 
tory. On  that  floor  you  may  be  habitually  nude,  as  no 
one  will  ever  intrude  upon  your  privacy  who  would  be 
objectionable,  as  my  mother  and  myself  occupy  these 
front  rooms,  as  you  and  Myrtle  will  occupy  those  in 
the  rear  adjoining  the  conservatory.  The  only  other 
person  who  will  come  upon  this  floor  without  my  special 
permission  is  Nora,  and  as  she  owes  her  life  to  my  doc- 
trine and  treatment  in  this  very  particular,  you  will  not 
have  occasion  to  consider  her.     You  will  notice  that 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


119 


she,  as  well  as  my  mother,  wears  only  a  light  silk  gown 
while  in  the  house.  Myrtle  will  adopt  the  same  fash- 
ion to-day,  and  we  will  all  be  as  comfortable  and  con- 
genial as  it  is  possible  to  be.  In  regard  to  yourself, 
I  will  introduce  you"  as  a  distinguished  physician  who 
has  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  the  East,  and  who  has 
adopted  the  customs  of  those  countries.  You  will  be 
the  object  of  some  well-bred  curiosity  among  my 
friends,  but  as  I  am  already  regarded  as  something  of  a 
crank,  it  will  not  be  considered  strange  that  I  have 
such  a  personage  in  my  house.  In  that  way  you  will 
be  able  to  enjoy  all  the  privileges  you  desire,  and  also 
to  meet  without  reserve  such  persons  as  you  may  de- 
sire to  bring  into  contact  with  Myrtle,  which  I  pre- 
sume will  only  be  a  select  few." 

"Admirable,  my  dear  Edward;  admirable,"  exclaimed 
Loma.  "You  have  exactly  anticipated  my  wants,  and, 
as  usual,  left  nothing  to  be  desired." 

"Now,  I  will  show  you  my  resources,"  said  the  doctor, 
opening  a  large  dressing  case.  "These  robes  have  never 
been  worn,  and  as  we  are  about  the  same  height,  I 
presume  these  will  fit  you  without  alteration.  Here 
are  also  several  pairs  of  Chinese  shoes,  which  are  more 
healthful  than  our  own.  Although  they  treat  the  feet 
of  their  women  shamefully,  it  seems  their  lords  of 
creation  show  better  sense  in  regard  to  their  own.  I 
prefer  our  Indian  moccasins,  myself,  and  if  you  should 
desire  to  wear  them,  here  are  several  new  pairs.  I 
also  have  some  sandals,  which  are  better  than  our 
shoes,  but  the  thongs  with  which  they  are  tied  on  are 


120  LOMA, 

not  comfortable  to  rue,  and  they  impair  circulation,  so 
I  seldom  wear  thein,  except  in  very  warm  weather." 

"I  shall  be  able  to  get  along  excellently  with  these," 
said  Lonia,  as  he  donned  one  of  the  richest  of  the  robes 
and  surveyed  himself  in  one  of  the  mirrors,  "but  I  can- 
not say  that  I  believe  with  the  most  of  your  citizens, 
that  the  dress  improves  the  appearance  of  a  man.  I 
certainly  would  not  have  been  willing  that  Myrtle 
should  have  received  her  first  impression  of  me  while  I 
was  thus  arrayed." 

"It  docs  not  add  to  your  appearance,"  said  the  doctor. 
"On  the  contrary,  it  hides  just  that  much  of  a  person- 
ality which  must  be  seen  in  its  entirety  to  be  appre- 
ciated. I  have  often  thought  that  Jesus  must  have 
had  this  subject  in  his  mind,  when  he  said,  'Consider 
the  lilies  of  the  field.  They  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin: 
And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory 
was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these?  " 

"You  are  right,"  said  Loma,  "and  if  you  will  read  the 
next  verse,  you  will  be  impressed  still  more  with  the 
fact,  that  Jesus  was  striving  in  some  degree  to  correct 
this  error.  His  own  raiment  was  very  simple,  and  at 
no  time  exceeded  what  you  have  so  generously  pro- 
vided for  me.  He  wore  clothing  for  the  same  reason 
that  I  shall  wear  these  gowns,  and  by  so  doing  post- 
poned his  crucifixion,  until  he  was  ready  to  endure  it, 
but  he  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  himself,  in  the  very 
words  you  have  quoted  and  what  follows: 

«  'Wherefore,  if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field,  which 


A  CITIZEN  OF   VENUS.  121 

to-day  is,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  shall  he  not 

much  more  clothe  you,  oh  ye  of  little  faith?'  " 

'■"Therefore  take  no  thought,  saying,  What  shall  ice  ait/ 
or.  What  shall  ire  drink/  or.  Wherewithal  shall  we  he 
clothed? 

"'(For  after  all  these  things  do  the  Gentiles  seek:)  for 
your  Hcarenly  Father  knoireth  that  ye  have  need  of  all 
these  things. 

"  'But  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteous- 
ness: and  all  these  things  shall  he  added  unto  you." 

"In  the  light  of  our  recent  discussion,  these  words  of 
Jesus  are  very  plain,"  continued  Loma.  "In  his  en- 
thusiasm, he  appeals  to  the  patriotism  of  the  Jews, 
which  he  knew  to  be  one  of  the  strongest  influences  he 
could  use,  urging  them  to  be  different  from  the  Gen- 
tiles. He  uses  the  faith  they  had  in  their  iJod  also, 
and  yet  he  introduced  an  appellation  which  shows  how 
strongly  he  implied  that  all  good  gifts  come  from  the 
eternal  source  of  supply  in  older  planets  toward 
younger  ones.  'Your  Heavenly  Father  knoweth  that 
ye  have  need  of  all  these  things.'  He  urges  them  to 
take  no  thought  wherewithal  they  shall  be  clothed,  for 
Nature  will  provide  a  covering.  It  is  equally  true  that 
men  should  not  'take  thought'  to  provide  so  many 
varieties  of  unwholesome  foods  and  drinks.  Nature 
supplies  an  abundance  of  natural  food  and  drink 
in  every  climate  which  man  should  inhabit.  Jesus 
classes  all  of  these  evils  together,  and  in  the  strongest 
language  implores  his  countrymen  (<>  live  naturally. 
J I  is  climax  comes  in  the  sublime  words  of  the  last 


122  LOMA, 

verse  I  have  quoted.  "The  kingdom  of  God'  is  the 
natural  life,  in  which  man  lives  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  universe.  When  man  comprehends  'his  right- 
eousness,' which  is  simply  living  according  to  the  im- 
mutable laws  of  equity  and  justice,  'sr.  these  things,' 
to-wit,  all  the  blessings  of  a  natural  life,  health,  wealth, 
beauty  and  happiness,  wi?1  ^    I.'..' 

"It  is  wonderful,"  exclaiinca  Doctor  Bell,  "how  priests 
and  kings  and  unscrupulous  politicians  have  distorted 
those  sublime  teachings  of  Jesus  into  a  mass  of  con- 
tradictory rubbish,  apparently  designed  for  no  purpose 
but  the  stupefaction  of  the  human  intellect  and  the 
enslavement  of  their  devotees.  I  have  heard  those 
verses  preached  from  as  texts,  by  renowned  preachers, 
many  times,  but  I  have  never  comprehended  what  was 
meant  until  this  moment.  Do  you  suppose,  my  dear 
Loma,  that  Jesus  comprehended  and  taught  the  sub- 
lime doctrine  of  the  origin  of  this  world  which  you 
unfolded  to  me  this  morning,  and  that  he  understood 
the  doctrine  of  the  translation  of  germs,  from  parent 
stars  to  their  children,  and  from  them  to  younger  gen- 
erations?" 

"Certainly.  He  not  only  understood  it  and  taught  it, 
but  his  disciples  did  also.  Listen  to  this  sublime  pas- 
sage from  the  Epistle  of  James,  which  shows  the  grasp 
he  had  on  this  subject,  and  that  he  perfectly  compre- 
hended the  condition  of  the  center  of  all  our  systems, 
the  center  of  our  super-solar  system,  which,  as  I  ex- 
plained to  you  this  morning,  is  the  parent  of  all  that 
surrounds  him,  and  is  therefore  at  rest,  in  perpetual 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  123 

darkness,  cold,  and  equilibrium,  while  he  diffuses  mag- 
netism to  all  bis  children.  The  seventeenth  verse  of 
the  first  chapter  of  the  General  Epistle  of  James  reads 
as  follows: 

"  (Every  good  gift,  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
and  cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with  whom  is 
no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turning.''" 

Doctor  Bell  dropped  into  a  seat  and  regarded  Loma 
with  fixed  astonishment.  "And  this  is  the  Bible,"  he 
exclaimed,  "which  half  the  Christian  w7orld  reads  with 
eyes  blinded  by  an  idolatrous  trust  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  stupid  priests,  and  the  other  half  treats  with 
complete  indifference.  Why,  the  words  you  have  quoted 
would  not  make  sense  in  the  light  of  any  other  explana- 
tion." 

"Certainly  not,"  said  Loma.  "But  then,  you  know, 
the  priests  do  not  w ant  anything  to  read  with  sense,  for 
that  would  tend  to  educate  their  dupes  beyond  their 
control.  However,  if  you  will  read  the  whole  of  the 
chapter,  you  will  find  that  this  superb  wrriter  was  one 
of  the  free-thinkers  of  his  period.  In  the  twenty-fifth 
verse  he  says: 

"'But  ichoso  lookcth  into  the  perfect  law  of  liberty,  and. 
continucth  therein,  he  being  not  a  forgetful  hearer,  but  a 
doer  of  the  ivord,  this  man  shall  be  blessed  in  his  deed.7 

"And  again,  in  the  closing  verse  of  this  chapter,  you 
will  find  a  sentiment  which  you,  my  dear  Edward,  have 
most  nobly  exemplified,  and  which  yon  may  sometime 
have  occasion  <<>  quote  to  Myrtle's  Presbyterian  uncle: 

"'Purr  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  tJic  Father 


124  LOMA. 

is  this,  To  visit  the  fatherless  and  the  widows  in  tlicir  afflic- 
tion, and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world?  " 

"Thank  you,  my  dear  Loma.  I  am  most  happy  in 
having  deserved  that  compliment,  and  I  assure  you  that 
T  shall  continue  to  live  according  to  the  noble  princi- 
ples that  have  been  instilled  into  me  from  my  youth  by 
the  mother  T  adore.  Now  we  will  appropriate  of  these 
costumes  those  which  blend  most  harmoniously  in 
color,  and  prepare  to  meet  the  ladies  at  dinner,  after 
which  I  promise  myself  the  felicity  of  a  drive  with  all 
of  you  over  our  incomparable  boulevard." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  view  Chicago,"  said  Loma. 
"for  I  have  heard  much  of  it  through  my  instructors, 
as  it  has  from  the  first  been  regarded  as  my  field  of 
operations." 

"I  presume  you  will  find  much  to  criticise,"  said  the 
doctor,  "for  I  imagine  that  your  civilization  is  so  far  ad- 
vanced that  much  that  we  endure  with  complaisance 
would  be  regarded  by  your  citizens  as  intolerable." 

"Perhaps  so;  but  as  my  mission  does  not  relate  to 
municipal  ordinances,  but  rather  to  the  inculcation  of 
those  doctrines  which  will,  when  comprehended  and 
taught,  elevate  the  tastes  and  refine  the  intellectual 
processes  of  mankind,  I  do  not  expect  that  I  will  have 
much  to  say  on  those  subjects  which  are  daily  discussed 
pro  and  con  in  your  newspapers.  For  instance,  the 
whole  subject  of  municipal,  and  I  may  add,  state  and 
national  government,  is  embraced  in  the  principle  of 
social  justice,  which,  when  once  considered  in  the  light 
of  advanced  intelligence,  will  lead  to  the  abolition  of 


A  CITIZF/N  OF  VENUS.  125 

every  trace  of  your  present  form  of  government,  and 
the  overthrow  of  your  entire  social  and  industrial  sys- 
tem." 

"I  can  readily  see  that  such  a  revolution  must  come 
with  advanced  civilization,  and  our  best  minds  now 
concede  that  there  is  a  monstrous  injustice  somewhere, 
but  as  yet  no  one  has  been  able  to  formulate  a  plan 
which  promises  complete  relief.  Of  course,  this  must  be 
a  matter  of  growth,  like  everything  else,  but  I  assure 
you  that  I  await  with  some  impatience  everything 
which  you  will  say  in  my  presence,  for  the  experiences 
of  the  last  twenty-four  hours  have  awakened  me  to  a 
realizing  sense  of  the  immense  importance  of  your  mis- 
sion to  mankind,  and  of  the  transcendent  responsibili- 
ties you  have  imposed  upon  you,  as  well  as  those  which 
rest  upon  us,  who  have  been  counted  worthy  to  be 
your  assistants." 

Just  at  this  point  the  doctor  was  interrupted  by  a 
strain  of  music,  proceeding  from  a  large  orchestrion  in 
the  hall  below. 

"That  is  the  way  my  steward  announces  dinner.  If 
you  are  ready,  we  will  proceed  to  the  parlor,  where  the 
ladies  are  awaiting  us." 

The  doctor  escorted  Loma  to  the  parlor,  where  they 
were  met  by  Mrs.  Bell  and  Myrtle.  Both  ladies 
were  arrayed  in  gowns  of  the  finest  Chinese  silk,  some- 
what different  in  style  from  those  worn  by  the  gentle- 
men, but  made  perfectly  loose,  and  of  such  colors  as 
were  harmonious  with  each  other  and  with  the  com- 
plexions of  the  wearers.     Mrs.  Bell   took   the  arm  of 


126  LOMA, 

Loma  and  led  the  way  to  the  dining  room,  while  the 
doctor  escorted  Myrtle,  the  orchestrion  meanwhile  play- 
ing a  lively  march. 

The  dining  room  was  under  the  conservatory,  and 
here  also  all  the  details  reflected  the  refined  taste  of 
the  owner.  Everything  was  arranged  with  reference 
to  comfort,  hospitality,  and  the  combination  of  lights 
and  colors  into  one  general  delightful  effect. 

It  was  a  happy  and  a  merry  party  which  sat  down  to 
the  repast  which  was  served  by  the  doctor's  steward 
in  most  approved  style.  Myrtle  was  radiant  in  her 
new-found  happiness;  Mrs.  Bell  genial  and  smiling  in 
the  capacity  of  hostess;  the  doctor,  divided  in  his  ad- 
miration for  Myrtle,  devotion  to  his  mother  and  en- 
thusiasm in  behalf  of  Loma,  while  the  latter  was  charm- 
ing in  his  courtliness,  in  gallantry  to  the  ladies,  and  in 
the  wit  and  sparkle  of  his  conversation.  The  table  was 
beautifully  decorated  with  flowers,  and  the  dinner  con- 
sisted of  the  choicest  vegetables  and  fruits  in  the  mar- 
ket, elegantly  served  and  supplemented  by  a  small 
roast,  of  which  all  partook  but  Loma,  who  excused 
himself  on  the  ground  that  meats  were  not  permissible 
to  him,  for  reasons  which  he  would  explain  at  another 
time. 

Occasional  bursts  of  melody  from  the  orchestrion 
relieved  the  conversation,  which  was  itself  punctuated 
with  frequent  peals  of  merry  laughter  from  the  quartet 
of  friends,  provoked  by  some  sally  of  wit  from  the  doc- 
tor or  Loma,  or  some  bright  saying  of  one  or  the  other 
of  the  accomplished  and  versatile  ladies. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VBNUS.  127 

When  dinner  was  over,  the  friends  returned  to  the 
parlor,  where  conversation  was  resumed  for  a  half 
hour.  Then  the  ladies  retired  to  dress  for  the  ride, 
and  the  gentlemen  repaired  to  their  own  rooms  for 
the  same  purpose. 

An  hour  later  they  were  rolling  along  the  famous 
boulevard,  in  the  vicinity  of  Lincoln  Park,  behind  the 
doctor's  team  of  black  beauties,  in  which  he  took  espe- 
cial pride.  The  ribbons  were  in  the  hands  of  Thomas 
Flannigan,  a  young  Irishman  ^/hose  skill  in  driving 
was  only  equaled  by  his  devotion  to  the  doctor  him- 
self. The  carriage  was  a.  handsome  landau,  and  the 
doctor  and  Myrtle  occupied  the  seat  next  to  that  of 
the  driver,  while  Mrs.  Bell  and  Loma  faced  them  at  the 
rear. 

The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close  and  the  sun  was  set- 
ting behind  the  western  hills,  through  a  maze  of  In- 
dian-summer clouds.  The  balmy  breezes  from  Lake 
Michigan  tempered  the  heat  of  the  early  autumn  into  a 
delightful  warmth,  which  was  grateful  to  the  senses 
and  invigorating  to  the  body. 

The  four  friends  were  enjoying  their  ride  with  all 
the  exuberance  and  zest  which  comes  from  clear  con- 
sciences and  happy  and  congenial  natures  pleasantly 
associated.  Myrtle's  hand  nestled  confidingly  into 
that  of  the  doctor  as  she  remarked: 

"We  are  all  so  happy,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  Na- 
ture herself  is  expressing  enjoyment  in  its  full  fruition 
at  this  time  of  the  year.  Why  is  it  that  human  beings, 
who  are  accounted  the  most  intelligent  beings  on  earth, 


128  LOMA, 

should  be  so  universally  unhappy?     Nine  out  of  ten  of 
the  faces  we  meet  are  not  cheerful." 

"Human  beings  are  not  as  intelligent  as  they  believe 
themselves  to  be,''  replied  the  doctor.  "In  proportion 
to  the  volume  of  brain  carried,  the  average  individual 
should  be  able  to  show  more  than  ten  times  the  amount 
of  intellectual  energy  that  is  actually  displayed  in  order 
to  compare  favorably  with  the  results  attained  by  the 
best  classes  of  animals,  in  their  natural  state.  I  at- 
tribute this  result  to  our  defective  education,  and  the 
further  fact,  that  mankind  has  not  yet  progressed 
sufficiently  in  the  evolution  of  its  faculties  to  establish 
that  harmonious  co-relation  which  animals,  having  a 
smaller  number,  and  hence  less  complicated  cerebral 
development,  have  been  enabled  to  reach." 

Just  at  this  moment  Myrtle  caught  his  arm,  saying, 
"Oh,  Edward,  look!  There  are  my  uncle  and  aunt,  in 
their  carriage!  They  will  pass  us  in  a  moment.  Shall 
I  recognize  them?" 

"Certainly,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Bell.  "That  is,  if 
you  wish  to  forgive  them  for  the  way  they  have  treated 
you." 

"Oh,  I  do  forgive  them!"  exclaimed  Myrtle.  "In  my 
happiness,  I  cannot  harbor  ill  will  toward  any  one.  I 
am  sure  they  did  not  know  what  they  were  doing." 

As  the  carriage  containing  her  relatives  approached, 
Myrtle  leaned  forward  and  smiled  and  bowed  most  af- 
fectionately to  her  aunt,  who  was  looking  toward  her. 
The  woman  recognized  her,  but  without  returning  the 
salutation,  turned  to  her  husband  and  caught  his  arm. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  129 

He  also  turned,  and  recognizing  Myrtle  in  the  hand- 
some carriage  of  the  doctor  surrounded  by  her  friends, 
stared  in  astonishment  and  frowned.  Then  giving  no 
further  sign  of  recognition,  they  passed  on.  Myrtle's 
eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"Never  mind,  my  dear,"  said  the  doctor,  affection- 
ately passing  his  arm  around  her  waist.  "I  have  rec- 
ognized your  uncle  and  know  him  well.  He  will  doubt- 
less call  on  us  in  a  short  time  to  continue  his  persecu- 
tion of  you,  at  which  time  we  will  turn  him  over  to 
mother,  for  a  lesson  in  religion  and  advanced  civiliza- 
tion. When  she  finishes  her  instruction,  he  will  have 
learned  several  important  truths." 

Mrs.  Bell  and  Loma  smiled,  and  Myrtle  dried  her 
eyes.  Her  elastic  temperament  soon  overcame  the 
depression  caused  by  the  slight  her  relatives  had 
imposed,  and  the  drive  was  finished  by  the  entire  party 
in  the  best  of  spirits. 


CHAPTER   X. 


THE   PHILOSOPHY   OF    LOVE. 
"These  things  I  command  you.  that  ye  love  one  another." 

The  life  of  Myrtle  Burnham,  after  the  events  detailed 
in  the  preceding  chapters,  flowed  on  like  the  placid 
current  of  an  untroubled  stream.  In  the  delightful 
society  of  her  new  environment,  her  mind  expanded, 
and  as  she  was  no  longer  bound  by  the  conventionali- 
ties of  the  narrow  society  in  which  she  had  before  been 
placed,  her  growth  was  rapid  and  sure.  In  the  exer- 
cise of  her  new  liberties,  however,  she  was  guilty  of 
no  impropriety,  and  her  natural  self-poise  always  as- 
serted itself,  and  the  buoyancy  of  her  temperament, 
and  her  rare  gifts  of  intellectual  accomplishments, 
added  to  the  sweetness  of  her  affectionate  nature,  soon 
endeared  her  beyond  measure  to  every  member  of  the 
household. 

Under  the  wise  administration  of  Mrs.  Bell,  guided 
by  suggestions  from  Loma,  Myrtle's  time  was  well  oc- 
cupied with  pleasant  occupation  and  agreeable  coni- 
pany.  She  was  altogether  absorbed  in  the  exalted 
mission  to  which  she  had  been  called,  and  like  most 
enthusiastic  natures,  would  soon  have  exhausted  her 
vitality,  if  her  excellent  preceptors  had  not  compelled 

(131) 


132  LOMA, 

her  to  observe  a  wiser  course.  As  it  was,  she  usually  de- 
voted about  two  hours  each  morning  to  special  instruc- 
tion from  Loma  in  the  conservatory,  in  which  delightful 
interviews  she  was  generally,  but  not  always,  attended 
by  her  devoted  friends.  It  was  a  part  of  Loma's  plan, 
that  the  doctor  and  Mrs.  Bell  should  also  hear  his  in- 
structions, as  he  desired  that  they  should  become  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  his  doctrines,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  competent  to  act  as  instructors  to  Myrtle's 
offspring  after  he  had  taken  his  departure  for  Venus. 
Consequently  they  were  rarely  absent  from  his  morn- 
ing lessons  to  his  protege,  and  the  morning  session  in 
the  "holy  of  holies,"  as  the  doctor  called  the  conserva- 
tory, became  a  delightful  experience  to  which  they  all 
looked  forward  daily  with  most  pleasurable  anticipa- 
tions. 

In  addition  to  these  pleasant  sessions  for  instruction, 
much  time  was  devoted  to  music.  The  four  friends 
were  all  accomplished  musicians.  Mrs.  Bell  possessed 
a  contralto  voice  of  great  sweetness  and  power;  her 
son  was  considered  one  of  the  best  baritones  in  the  city, 
and  had  frequently  distinguished  himself  in  concerts 
given  for  charitable  purposes,  by  the  elite  society  in 
which  he  moved.  Both  were  masters  of  the  organ  and 
piano,  and  the  doctor  was  also  an  amateur  violinist 
of  considerable  note.  Myrtle  possessed  a  soprano  voice 
of  surpassing  compass  and  extraordinary  quality,  and 
it  had  been  carefully  trained  by  the  best  teachers  in 

Chicago. 

But  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  musical  abilities 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  I33 

of  Lonia.  As  he  had  mastered  the  language  aud  Hi  na- 
ture of  the  earth,  before  undertaking  his  great  mission, 
so  he  had  also  mastered  music.  And  in  its  perform- 
ance he  not  only  expressed  the  abilities  of  an  earthly 
musician  producing  the  best  effects  of  the  masters  in 
the  stage  of  the  development  of  the  art  now  known  on 
the  earth,  but  he  added  to  it  much  of  the  beauty  and 
higher  expression  he  had  learned  at  home.  When 
joining  with  his  friends  in  the  rendition  of  some  of  the 
classical  music  in  which  they  all  delighted,  he  sang  the 
tenor  with  the  skill  and  expression  of  the  best  earthly 
performers.  But  at  their  request  he  frequently  sang 
alone  the  melodies  of  his  native  planet.  At  such  times 
his  body  glowed  with  strong  emanations  of  magnetism 
and  his  voice  assumed  a  quality  unknown  to  earth. 
His  hearers  became  enraptured  to  complete  ecstasy, 
and  Myrtle  frequently  lost  consciousness  of  everything 
but  the  heavenly  melody  which  thrilled  her  whole 
being. 

At  other  times  she  surrendered  herself  entirely  to 
the  pleasures  of  social  intercourse.  Toward  both  Loma 
and  the  doctor  she  became  conscious  of  the  most  de- 
voted emotions  of  love,  arising  within  her  own  nature 
and  craving  a  free  expression.  She  regarded  them  both 
as  representatives  of  the  highest  types  of  manhood, 
and  whenever  they  approached  her,  she  felt  that  each 
was  impelled  by  the  highest  motives  of  love  for  her,  and 
consideration,  devotion  and  purity  of  intention.  In  a 
short  time  she  learned  to  treat  both  of  them  and  Mrs. 
Hell  with  the  most  hearty  expressions  and  demonstia- 


134  LOMA. 

tions  of  affection,  which  were  always  warmly  recipro- 
cated. 

On  one  occasion,  when  she  met  Loma  in  the  conserva- 
tory, she  threw  herself  into  his  embrace  with  more 
than  usual  fervor.  She  imprinted  several  ardent  kisses 
on  his  lips,  and  as  he  sat  down  beside  her  on  a  divan 
and  affectionately  encircled  her  waist  with  his  arm, 
she  inquired : 

"Tell  me  why  I  love  to  kiss  you  and  Edward  so  much. 
1  never  kissed  any  man  but  Albert  until  I  kissed  you, 
and  I  was  always  told  that  it  was  wrong.  But  now  I 
feel  and  know  that  it  is  right,  and  moreover  my  nature 
seems  to  crave  these  expressions  of  love  from  those 
whom  I  feel  truly  love  me." 

"In  the  first  place,"  answered  Loma,  "you  are  now  for 
the  first  time  really  living  in  a  natural  way.  Love  is 
natural,  and  the  unfortunate  woman  who  is  not  sur- 
rounded by  those  whom  she  can  unreservedly  trust  and 
upon  whom  she  can  freely  express  her  affection  is 
robbed  of  the  sweetest  and  best  food  which,  nature  pro- 
vides for  growth  and  development.  It  is  just  as  nat- 
ural for  a  woman  at  your  age  to  crave  the  loving  ca- 
resses of  pure  and  affectionate  men  as  it  is  for  her  to 
breathe  and  to  crave  the  pure  air  of  heaven.  You  are 
fortunate  in  possessing  two  loving  friends,  whom  you 
can  implicitly  trust,  with  whom  you  may  freely  indulge 
your  natural  desire.  It  would  be  just  so  much  better, 
if,  instead  of  two,  you  had  twenty,  for  love  is  a  thing  sus- 
ceptible to  growth,  and  the  more  you  love,  the  stronger 
and  sweeter  it  becomes.  It  is  necessary,  however,  for  you 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VEXUS.  ,__ 

135 

to  discriminate,  for  it  wonld  not  be  wise  to  lavish  vour 
..ffoct,on  on  unworthy  objects,  and  von  won  1,1  be 'eon- 
laminated  by  their  impure  association.  With  the  knowl- 
edge which  I  shall  impart  to  yon.  however,  y„„  will 
be  perfect  1,  safe,  tor  ,y,„,  win  ,eam  to  discriminate 
«.th   intelligence.     Tonr   son    will   also   possess   this 
power,  and  wherever  he  goes,  he  will  be  surronnded 
by  pnre  and  rirtuous  women,  who  will  sustain  him 
<«th  their  affect  ion  and  caresses  as  Jesns  was  s  s 
tamed  bv  the  delightful  friendships  which  he  had  with 
Mary  and  Martha,  and  the  man,  unfortunate  women 
whom  he  rescued  from  the  degradation  of  their  time 
There  is  no  question,  from  the  accounts  given  of  Jesus 
n  the  B,bl„,  without  referring  to  other  sources  of  au- 

' ,"'"•  that  he  0»"tinuaUy  surrounded  himself  with 

good  women,  and  that  his  affections  were  gratified  by 
them  m  the  highest  degree. 

"There  is  another  reason,  however,  why  yon  are  more 
than  usually  affectionate  at  this  time,"  continued  Luma 
while  Ins  voice  thrilled  with  peculiar  tenderness,  "and 
hat  .a,    hat  at  just  this  stage  of  your  pregnancy  your 
<  hild  ,s  forming  the  rudiments  of  those  portions  of  his 
bnun  which  preside  over  the  affections  and  give  him 
the  capacity  to  have  affection    himself.    At  this  time 
,v«u  have  an  unusual  craving  for  the  expressions  of 
love,  and  if  you  were  not  gratified,  your  child  would 
come  into  this  world  without  the  ability  ,„  develop 
Lose  energies  which  give  the  sweetest  and  most  at 
™-''ve  traits  -  "omaii  character.     „    h  perfecay 
« -'M  to  distinguish  be<  we,,,  ,  he  offspring  of  loving  and 


136  L0*IA. 

niuch-loved  mothers  and  those  who  have  had  but  little 
desire  and  satisfaction  of  these  faculties.  Those  who 
love  much,  and  are  satisfied  by  the  loving  expression  of 
friends  and  consorts,  develop  the  posterior  portion  of 
their  brain,  and  the  head  becomes  symmetrical,  and 
those  features  of  the  face,  and,  in  fact,  of  the  whole 
body,  which  are  in  sympathy  with  and  controlled  by 
that  portion  of  the  brain,  become  much  more  har- 
monious and  beautiful.  While  the  unfortunate  off- 
spring of  mothers  who  do  not  call  out  these  demonstra- 
tions, by  a  lack  of  affection  in  themselves,  or  who  are 
deprived  of  a  natural  satisfaction  by  the  coldness  and 
indifference  of  those  who  surround  them,  are  uniformly 
lacking  in  the  essential  elements  of  manhood  and  wom- 
anhood. Their  heads  are  badly  formed,  especially  in 
the  occipital  region,  and  every  feature  of  their  un- 
fortunate bodies  shares  the  misfortune  and  reflects 
deformity  in  just  the  measure  that  these  conditions 
of  growth  have  been  denied.  The  eyes  are  small  and 
lack  luster;  the  chin  is  small  and  retreating,  and  even 
the  walk  is  ungraceful,  and  the  voice  disagreeable  in 
its  tone. 

"So,  my  sweet  girl,  whenever  you  feel  the  desire  to 
give  expression  to  your  feelings  in  these  directions,  re- 
member that  we  love  you,  and  that  it  is  our  highest 
privilege  to  minister  to  you  the  gratification  which 
will  not  only  cause  you  to  thrill  with  happiness,  but 
will  endow  your  child  with  the  highest  social  graces, 
and  enable  him  to  bless  untold  thousands  who  may 
fomc  within  the  radiance  of  his  sublime  magnetism." 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  137 

As  a  response  to  this  fraternal  declaration,  Myrtle 
•  bestowed  another  rapturous  kiss  upon  Loma's  lips,  and 
Doctor  Bell  happening  to  enter  the  conservatory  at  this 
moment,  she  ran  to  him  and  greeted  him  with  cor- 
responding ardor.  The  doctor  placed  his  arm  around 
her,  and  led  her  back  to  the  divan,  where,  seated  be- 
tween himself  and  Loina,  she  surrendered  herself  to  the 
full  measure  of  their  warm  and  magnetic  influences. 

"Tell  me,"  she  exclaimed,  as  she  entwined  her  arms 
around  her  friends,  and  rested  her  golden  head  upon 
the  doctor's  shoulder,  "why  is  it  that  humanity  has 
never  recognized  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  such 
loving  associations  as  we  have,  and  why  is  it  so  uni- 
versally considered  to  be  wrong?  Now,  my  teachings 
in  the  past  have  been  very  meager  upon  all  of  these 
subjects;  in  fact,  I  was  often  reproved  for  even  asking 
questions  on  those  topics,  but  the  impression  I  received 
generally  was,  that  it  was  wrong  to  let  any  one  kiss  me, 
and  that  even  in  marriage  some  things  would  be  done 
which  were  mysterious  and  dark,  and  which  in  that 
state  might  be  permissible,  but  were  even  then  to  be  cov- 
ered with  secrecy.  I  know  that  once  or  twice  my  aunt 
went  to  visit  some  of  her  lady  friends  who  were  said  to 
be  'in  a  delicate  condition,'  and  when  I  asked  what  that 
meant  I  was  reproved,  and  told  to  wait  until  I  was  mar- 
ried, and  then  I  would  find  out.  I  never  could  understand 
why,  if  marriage  was  the  most  blessed  state  in 
existence,  there  should  be  such  an  unwillingness  to  let 
us  know  anything  about  it.  Moreover,  when  T  went 
to  church,  T  heard  the  preacher  read  a  great  deal  from 


138  LOMA, 

the  Bible  commanding  the  people  to  love  one  another. 
But  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  moment  any  one  tried  to 
carry  the  precept  into  practice,  a  great  scandal  arose. 
If  a  married  man  or  woman  even  expresses  a  great  deal 
of  love  for  any  one  of  the  opposite  sex,  by  words  or  writ- 
ings, it  is  considered  proof  that  something  is  wrong.  I  re- 
member that  one  of  our  Sunday  school  superintendents 
was  compelled  to  resign,  because  a  letter  which  he 
wrote  to  a  married  lady,  who  was  one  of  his  teachers, 
contained  the  words,  'I  love  you  dearly,  and  I  believe 
that  30U  are  the  best  woman  I  ever  met.  Your  kisses 
are  the  sweetest  in  the  world.'  Her  hubsand  found  the 
letter  and  he  made  a  commotion,  and  the  lady  was  dis- 
graced and  lost  her  position  in  society,  and  the  man  re- 
signed the  superintendence  of  the  Sunday  school  and 
left  the  church.  Now,  if  the  Bible  is  right,  and  it  says 
'Love  one  another,'  I  do  not  see  why  this  should  have 
happened.  Another  thing  I  wish  you  would  explain. 
We  are  expected  to  love  our  husbands,  and  yet  it  is 
the  prevailing  doctrine  that  a  young  lady  should  not 
allow  any  gentleman  to  kiss  her,  and  even  after  she  is 
engaged,  she  is  urged  not  to  allow  her  fiance*  to  take 
any  liberties  with  her,  as  it  is  called.  The  most  that 
is  considered  consistent  with  prudence  is  to  allow  him 
a  very  formal  kiss  once  in  a  while.  I  did  not  see  any 
good  sense  in  this,  and  as  no  one  ever  gave  me  a  satis- 
factory reason,  but  only  a  warning  command  which 
seemed  to  be  contradictory  to  the  impulses  of  my  na- 
ture, I  violated  it  with  Albert.  Now  I  would  like  to 
know,  if  a  young  woman  is  to  be  thus  restricted,  how 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  139 

she  can  ever  find  out  whether  she  really  loves  a  man  or 
not.  It  seems  to  me  that  love  is  something  which  comes 
to  us  by  experience,  and  that  the  closest  possible  inti- 
macy is  necessary  to  enable  any  one  to  decide,  whether 
it  is  possible  to  love  the  object  in  view." 

"You  have  stated  the  case  with  the  ability  of  a  first- 
class  lawyer,  my  dear,"  exclaimed  the  doctor.  "Now, 
let  us  hear  what  Loma's  answer  will  be." 

Loma  was  thoughtful  for  a  moment,  and  then  began 
to  answer  with  earnestness  and  gravity. 

"The  trouble  is,  that  love  is  not  as  yet  understood 
upon  this  planet.  Your  poets  sing  of  it,  your  teachers 
and  preachers  prate  concerning  it,  but  your  citizens 
have  not  as  yet  comprehended  what  it  is.  To  under- 
stand love  it  is  necessary  to  study  the  human  constitu- 
tion. When  we  do  this  intelligently,  we  find  that  man 
has  a  large  number  of  mental  faculties,  each  one  of 
which  is  devoted  to  the  acquisition  of  a  different  kind 
of  sensation  and  knowledge.  It  is  the  possession  of  all 
of  these  faculties  in  a  good  degree  of  condition  and 
capacity  which  distinguishes  a  bright  and  intelligent 
man  from  the  idiot.  It  is  the  possession  of  a  larger 
number  of  these  faculties  and  a  higher  degree  of  educa- 
bility  which  is  the  principal  distinction  between  man 
and  the  animals  by  which  he  is  surrounded.  Some 
animals  seem  to  have  only  a  single  faculty,  others  have 
more,  but  man  seems  to  have  more  than  twice  as  many 
as  any  animal  with  which  we  are  familiar.  Our  best 
mental  philosophers  now  estimate  the  number  of  facul- 
ties possessed  by  man  as  sixty-four,  and  we  nave,  cor- 


140  LOMA, 

respondingly,  sixty-four  departments  of  knowledge  ob- 
tainable by  man.  Each  mental  faculty  possesses  four 
distinct  powers,  to  wit,  attraction,  repulsion,  satisfac- 
tion, and  memory.  Each  mental  faculty  is  derived  from 
the  action  of  an  organ  in  the  brain  corresponding  to  it. 
You  will  also  understand  that  the  mental  powers  of 
individuals  will  vary  according  to  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  brain  and  the  consequent  size  and 
physiological  condition  of  those  organs.  Thus  one  man 
has  more  musical  talent  than  another,  because  those 
organs  which  relate  to  music  are  larger  and  in  better 
condition  in  his  brain  than  they  are  in  the  brain  of  his 
less  fortunately  endowed  brother.  As  a  consequence, 
he  will  be  more  strongly  attracted  toward  good  music, 
more  powerfully  repelled  from  discord,  will  derive 
greater  satisfaction  from  a  satisfactory  performance, 
and  will  remember  more  about  it.  As  you  are  all  mu- 
sicians, you,  of  course,  understand  this. 

"I  have  chosen  music  as  the  basis  of  my  illustration, 
because  it  is  one  of  the  departments  of  knowledge  which 
have  been  brought  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection  on 
this  planet,  and  is  so  universal  that  it  will  be  more 
readily  understood.  Now,  the  ability  of  a  man  to  love 
music,  and  to  delight  his  friends  with  his  performances, 
depends,  first,  upon  his  possession  of  the  musical  facul- 
ties; second,  upon  his  education  in  the  art;  third,  upon 
his  possession  of  an  excellent  instrument  of  expression ; 
fourth,  upon  his  willingness  to  play,  and  lastly,  upon 
the  appreciation  of  his  audience.  It  is  not  necessary 
for  me  to  enlarge  upon  the  fact,  that  his  audience  must 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  141 

in  some  degree  be  as  cultured  as  himself,  in  order  that 
the  appreciation  may  be  complete,  and  that  the  highest 
degree  of  mutual  pleasure  may  be  experienced. 

"What  I  have  stated  as  being  true  of  music  applies 
with  equal  force  to  every  faculty  of  man,  and  to  every 
department  of  knowledge  which  is  represented  by  a 
faculty.  In  order  to  have  a  complete  man,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  every  faculty  should  be  insured  b}7  the  crea- 
tion of  a  complete  brain.  This  can  be  done  by  comply- 
ing with  the  laws  of  reproduction.  It  is  only  as  man 
violates  these  laws  that  he  is  punished  with  offspring 
which  are  fragmentary,  and  so  far  idiotic.  When  a 
complete  brain  is  produced,  it  is  then  necessary  that  a 
complete  education  should  follow.  The  education  of 
the  citizens  of  this  planet,  at  present,  is  confined  to 
less  than  half  of  the  actual  capacity  of  the  brain,  and 
this  is  so  faultily  administered  that  your  students  get 
but  little  benefit,  and  your  industrial  system  is  so  un- 
just that  the  great  majority  of  your  children  are  en- 
tirely neglected.  Assuming,  however,  that  reform  in 
education  is  established,  and  that  your  citizens  are 
completely  educated,  it  is  still  necessary  that  each  one 
should  have  the  largest  opportunity  for  the  exercise 
of  his  faculties,  by  being  provided  with  instruments 
and  occupation,  and  that  he  should  have  the  liberty  to 
enjoy  his  powers.  WThen  these  conditions  are  estab- 
lished you  will  have  the  highest  expressions  of  good- 
ness in  all  departments  of  human  effort,  and  the  ap- 
preciation  of  the  efforts  of  each  individual  by  his  fel- 
lows will  follow  as  a  matter  of  course. 


142  LOMA, 

"It  follows,  necessarily,  that  while  there  will  always 
be  diversity  of  human  character,  there  will  also  be 
diversity  of  talent,  and  diversity  in  the  expression  of 
the  various  forms  of  love  of  which  man  is  capable.  One 
individual  will  love  music  above  all  other  occupations, 
another  will  love  architecture,  a  third  may  devote  him- 
self to  mathematics,  and  so  on  through  the  whole  cata- 
logue. While  this  is  true,  there  is  no  reason  why  all 
persons  should  not  be  required  to  reach  that  degree  of 
perfection  in  the  social  graces  which  will  make  them 
fit  objects  for  association  and  affection. 

"I  will  now  proceed  to  answer  Myrtle's  questions,  by 
saying,  that  those  faculties  which  are  concerned  in  the 
expression  of  all  forms  of  personal  attachment,  are  en- 
tirely neglected  in  the  curriculum  of  education,  as  at 
present  administered  on  this  planet.  It  is  true,  that 
man  has,  as  prime  faculties  of  his  mental  powers,  the 
faculties  which  enable  him  to  take  cognizance  of  gen- 
der and  the  act  of  reproduction,  of  attachment  for  off- 
spring, animals  and  parents,  of  friendship  for  man  and 
woman,  independent  of  sexual  association,  and  also  the 
love  of  home  and  the  associations  of  patriotism.  The  nat- 
ural growth  and  education  of  those  powers  would  cause 
him  to  experience  the  largest  possible  happiness  to 
himself,  and  the  highest  ministration  of  gratification 
to  others.  Instead  of  obtaining  this  development,  how- 
ever, the  selfishness  of  mankind  has  produced  a  distor- 
tion of  these  impulses,  into  the  most  barbarous  senti- 
ments, until  the  natural  language  of  these  faculties  has 
been  almost  entirely  obliterated,  and  actions  which  are, 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  143 

in  fact,  the  most  outrageous  of  crimes  have  come  to  be 
considered  the  exemplification  of  the  virtues. 

"The  fundn mental  error  was  the  chaining  of  the  re- 
productive sense  of  gender  by  the  institution  of  polyga- 
mous marriage.  As  long  as  men  and  women  were  free  to 
choose  their  sexual  affinities,  the  race  improved  by  the 
operation  of  thelawof  natural  selection.  When  marriage 
was  given  enforcement  by  law,  woman  was  enslaved, 
and  in  a  few  generations  it  became  an  easy  matter  to 
enslave  her  sons.  Consequently,  we  find  in  an  early 
period  of  the  Jewish  civilization,  from  which  the  present 
Christian  stage  is  descended,  that  a  tyrant  like  Sol- 
omon could  revel  in  debauchery  with  three  hundred 
concubines  and  seven  hundred  wives,  while  his  slaves 
toiled  at  the  building  of  the  temple  for  his  glorification, 
without  any  wives  at  all,  and  hundreds  were  even  de- 
prived of  the  means  of  reproduction  by  mutilation,  as 
eunuchs. 

"The  natural  sense  of  justice  in  man  has  asserted 
itself,  until  in  the  later  development  of  civilization  the 
practice  of  emasculating  men  has  been  discontinued, 
and  all  men  are  free  to  have  one  wife,  provided  they 
are  able  to  persuade  one  to  submit  to  the  relationship. 
The  idea  of  the  dominion  of  man  over  the  woman  is 
still  the  central  one,  however,  in  the  Christian  form  of 
civilization,  and  the  barbarous  form  of  marriage  is  still 
practiced,  with  all  of  its  humiliating  and  degrading 
implications.  It  is  to  the  infinite  credit  of  your  hu- 
manity, that  it  has  outgrown  the  ceremony,  and  that 
it  is  in  a  large  measure  only  a  mere  formality,  which 


144  LOMA, 

society  takes  for  granted  will  only  be  considered  sub- 
ject to  the  modifications  which  good  sense  and  the 
enlarged  liberties  of  mankind  have  imperatively  de- 
manded. However,  as  long  as  the  present  form  of 
matrimonial  obligation  is  practiced  among  you,  it 
will  remain  as  a  partial  barrier  to  the  development 
of  correct  sexual  relations  and  good  morals,  because 
it  continually  educates  the  minds  of  the  people  to  false 
conceptions  of  duties  and  privileges,  and  engenders 
jealousy,  promotes  selfishness,  creates  wrong  desires, 
and,  worst  of  all,  prevents  the  development  of  love. 

"The  earlier  forms  of  marriage  required  only  the  ex- 
pression of  allegiance  and  devotion  on  the  part  of  the 
wife  to  the  husband.  She  became  his  slave  and  sur- 
rendered all  of  her  liberties  to  him,  hence  the  pledge 
of  the  woman,  to  love,  honor  and  obey  her  tyrant,  de- 
stroyed in  her  the  ability  to  discriminate  as  to  what 
was  lovable,  honorable  or  capable  of  being  obeyed 
without  sacrificing  her  own  honor.  As  an  abject  slave 
she  was  not  supposed  to  consider  these  things.  It  was 
sufficient  for  her  that  her  lord  and  master  commanded. 
She  obeyed.  It  is  easy  to  see  how,  in  this  condition  of 
things,  the  selfishness  of  her  master  soon  dictated  to 
her  that  she  must  not  under  any  circumstances  love, 
honor  or  obey  any  one  but  himself.  Here  we  have  the 
origin  of  the  sentiment  that  it  is  wrong  for  a  woman 
to  allow  herself  to  love  any  man  but  her  husband.  The 
enslavement  of  woman  naturally  led  to  another  disas- 
trous consequence.  She  ceased  to  become  an  object 
of  love  to  man,  except  as  she  ministered  to  his  carnal 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  145 

desires.  The  idea  of  love  became  dissociated  from 
every  relationship  but  the  sexual.  Considered  solely 
as  the  vehicle  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  inflamed  and 
unnatural  desires  of  man,  the  desires  having  become 
inflamed  and  unnatural  through  the  abuse  which 
followed  the  enslavement  of  woman,  she  was,  of 
course,  degraded  in  his  eyes,  and  was  considered  un- 
worthy of  education,  or  participation  in  any  of  the 
higher  walks  of  life. 

"To  the  infinite  credit  of  your  manhood,  it  is  true, 
that  gradually,  though  slowly  and  painfully,  it  has 
struggled  from  beneath  the  burden  of  these  errors, 
until  at  this  time,  in  the  more  enlightened  communi- 
ties, the  proposition  to  advance  woman  to  full  and 
complete  equality  with  man  is  being  seriously  consid- 
ered, and  will  eventually  occur.  One  by  one  her  privi- 
leges have  been  restored  to  her,  until  her  condition  is 
infinitely  more  tolerable  than  in  the  past,  but  com- 
plete results  will  not  be  attained  until  the  last  barrier 
is  removed,  and  she  is  .recognized  as  the  companion, 
and  not  as  the  slave  of  man.  She  will  then  become  the 
mother  of  a  generation  of  freemen,  and  the  advance  of 
civilization  will  be  rapid. 

"The  first  step  in  the  line  of  reform  must  be  the  com- 
plete emancipation  of  woman.  As  soon  as  this  is  ac- 
complished, and  she  receives  the  benefit  of  her  liber- 
ties, so  that  she  can  think  and  act  with  freedom,  she 
will  escape  from  the  present  impression  that  she  is 
merely  the  vehicle  of  man's  passions.     She  will  cease 

to  regard  her  possession  by  a  man  as  essential  to  her 
10 


146  LOMA, 

existence,  and  she  will  act  independently.  The  next 
step  will  be  the  industrial  equality  of  woman,  and  she 
will  demand  and  obtain  the  same  wages  as  man.  Be- 
ing by  this  fact  placed  in  possession  of  the  mastery  of 
her  own  person,  she  will  yield  it  only  on.  the  dic- 
tates of  love.  The  best  men  will  then  be  able  to  obtain 
sexual  favors,  regardless  of  money,  while  those  who  are 
nonattractive,  vicious  or  depraved  will  be  compelled 
to  go  without  altogether.  In  the  meantime,  the 
advancement  of  woman  and  the  reorganization  of  the 
industrial  system  will  have  decreased  prostitution  to 
a  minimum,  and  with  the  generation  of  better  men  and 
women  and  the  advancement  of  education  as  to  the 
proper  use  of  the  sexual  functions,  it  will  eventually 
disappear,  and  there  will  exist  on  this  planet  a  greatly 
improved  type  of  humanity. 

"When  humanity  reaches  this  stage  of  development, 
marriage  will  be  regarded  as  it  is  in  Venus,  as  a  bar- 
barous custom  of  savage  nations,  as  polygamy  is  al- 
ready. Men  and  women  will  then  begin  to  study  love 
as  a  science,  as  you  now  study  music.  The  act  of  re- 
production will  not  be  considered  as  it  is  now,  the  only 
basis  of  association  between  a  man  and  a  woman.  Nei- 
ther man  nor  woman  will  be  under  a  pledge  to  love  one 
person  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others,  because  the  fact 
will  be  generally  recognized,  that  such  a  pledge  is  de- 
structive of  morals,  and  is  practically  the  suicide  of  the 
love  faculties.  Such  a  pledge  will  then  be  regarded  as 
you  would  now  regard  the  pledge  of  a  musician  to  play 
only  one  tune.     Whenever  civilization  advances  beyond 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  147 

the  selfishness  of  man,  the  principle  will  be  recognized 
that  the  largest  growth  and  the  grandest  expression  of 
human  life  is  in  universal  love. 

"When  Jesus  commanded  his  followers  to  love  one 
another,  he  meant  exactly  what  he  said.  It  is  not  only 
the  right  but  the  duty  of  every  sane  man  and  woman 
to  cultivate  and  express  love  for  as  many  individuals 
as  possible.  The  larger  the  number  of  lovers,  the  richer 
becomes  the  life.  This  does  not  mean  promiscuous 
love,  nor  promiscuous  sexual  association,  but  it  does 
mean  the  largest  possible  freedom  in  social  intercourse. 
It  means  that  if  a  woman  loves  a  man,  or  a  man  loves  a 
woman,  that  they  should  have  the  privilege  of  meeting 
as  often  as  they  please,  where  and  when  they  please, 
and  expressing  their  love  for  each  other  in  any  lan- 
guage they  choose,  whether  it  be  spoken,  written  or  ex- 
pressed in  kisses,  caresses,  or  merely  friendly  greet- 
ings. This  right  is  inalienable,  according  to  all  dic- 
tates of  sound  public  policy,  and  any  contract  which 
deprives  a  man  or  woman  of  this  liberty  is  void.  Un- 
der your  present  conditions,  if  a  man  and  woman  meet 
each  other  freely,  or  a  married  man  or  woman  is  seen 
to  any  great  extent  with  some  other  person  of  the  other 
sex,  you  assume  that  they  have  met  for  sexual  inter- 
course, and  a  scandal  is  the  result.  This  is  greatly 
augmented  if  there  is  the  slightest  evidence  that  they 
have  kissed  or  caressed  each  other.  All  of  this  grows 
out  of  the  degraded  conception  of  love  which  has  been 
forced  on  the  human  mind  by  the  fact  that  man  has 
been  trained  to  regard  woman  as  solely  an  object  for 


148  LOMA, 

the  expression  of  sexual  passion,  and  your  men  of  the 
present  generation  cannot  understand  any  other  rela- 
tionship. 

"As  soon  as  woman  escapes  from  the  bondage  of 
marriage,  she  will  regulate  this  matter  herself.  She 
will  demand  that  men  recognize  the  purity  of  her  mo- 
tives, and  she  will  teach  them  that  if  they  wish  to  find 
favor  in  her  eyes,  they  must  be  capable  of  enjoying  all 
the  other  pleasures  of  life  with  her,  without  associating 
her  with  the  gratification  of  mere  passion.  When  men 
and  women  learn  to  associate  on  this  plane  the  espion- 
age of  woman  will  cease.  As  it  is  now,  a  man  is  sus- 
picious of  his  associate,  because  his  own  conscience 
tells  him  in  many  cases  that  if  she  is  not  unfaithful 
to  her  marriage  vow,  it  is  not  because  she  has  not 
ample  provocation.  Men  establish  an  espionage  upon 
women,  because  they  are  suspicious  and  selfish.  Women 
assist  in  this  espionage  with  incredible  zeal,  because 
they  are  jealous  and  selfish,  and  every  woman  who  can 
be  crowded  off  the  social  stage  makes  that  much  more 
room  for  the  degraded  slaves  who  do  the  spying  and 
gossiping.  When  this  slavery  and  degradation  is  abol- 
ished with  marriage,  and  men  and  women  associate 
upon  an  equal  plane,  the  artificial  crimes  of  adultery 
and  fornication  will  disappear,  friendship  and  love  will 
be  cultivated,  better  men  and  women  will  appear,  and 
harmony  will  exist  where  discord  now  prevails." 


CHAPTER   XI. 


A  LESSON  IN  ETHICS. 

"And  Jesus  said  unto  her.  Neither  do  I  condemn  thee;  go 
and  sin  no  more." 

A  few  days  after  the  recognition  by  Myrtle  of  her 
relatives  on  the  boulevard,  as  the  friends  were  about 
to  repair  to  the  conservatory  for  the  morning  ses- 
sion of  instruction,  a  visitor  was  announced  in  the  par- 
lor, and  Nora  presented  to  Mrs.  Bell  a  card  salver  bear- 
ing a  card  upon  which  was  engraved  "Mr.  J.  C.  Mc- 
Donald." As  Mrs.  Bell  read  the  name  aloud,  Myrtle 
exclaimed,  "That  is  my  uncle!'' 

"Sure  enough!"  said  the  doctor.  "Well,  as  I  sug- 
gested before,  we  will  have  mother  attend  to  him, 
while  Loma  entertains  us  in  the  music  room.  When 
you  have  finished  his  instruction,  mother,  you  will  find 
us  in  the  conservatory  eagerly  awaiting  to  hear  the  re- 
sult of  the  interview."' 

So  saying,  the  doctor  led  Myrtle  to  the  conservatory, 
where  Loma  awaited  them,  while  Mrs.  Bell  proceeded 
to  the  parlor  to  meet  her  visitor.  She  found  a  tall, 
dark-complexioned  man,  of  an  intellectual  but  some- 
what melancholy  appearance,  whom  she  at  once  recog- 
nized as  the  gentleman  she  had  seen  in  the  carriage1  on 
the  boulevard. 

(149) 


150  LOMA, 

The  formal  greetings  over,  Mrs.  Bell  requested  her 
visitor  to  be  seated.  He  complied,  and  with  evident 
embarrassment  began  the  conversation. 

"Mrs.  Bell,  I  have  come  to  perform  a  very  disagree- 
able duty,  but  one  which  I  am  compelled  to  face  in  the 
discharge  of  my  obligations  as  a  Christian  and  a  mem- 
ber of  society,  and  one  which,  however  painful  it  may 
be  to  both  of  us,  you  will  doubtless  thank  me  for  not  de- 
laying." 

"Indeed,  sir,  you  astonish  me.  I  hope  it  may  not  be 
as  painful  as  you  anticipate." 

"Would  to  God,  madam,  that  it  were  not.  But  as  it 
is  always  painful  to  recognize  depravity  in  any  of  our 
fellow  creatures,  it  becomes  doubly  so  when  we  find  it 
in  our  own  household  and  in  the  hearts  of  those  we 
have  learned  to  love  and  from  whom  we  have  reason 
to  expect  better  things.  To  come  directly  to  the  point, 
however,  madam,  I  have  learned  recently  that  you  have 
in  your  house,  and,  as  I  am  informed,  as  your  guest, 
a  young  woman  by  the  name  of  Myrtle  Burnham.  Is 
this  true?" 

"It  is  true.  She  is  my  guest,  and  I  am  sure  a  sweeter 
and  more  lovely  associate  could  not  exist.  Are  you  in- 
terested in  her?" 

"It  grieves  me  beyond  measure,  madam,  to  destroy 
the  conception  you  have  of  the  character  of  this  person. 
It  is  my  Christian  duty  to  inform  you  that  she  is  ut- 
terly depraved,  an  outcast  and  a  reproach  to  her  sex, 
and  that,  as  you  value  your  own  good  name,  it  is  im- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  151 

peratively  necessary  that  you  should  expel  her  at  once 
from  your  house." 

"Impossible!  My  dear  sir,  we  regard  Myrtle  as  the 
embodiment  of  everything  which  is  good.  By  what 
right  do  you  bring  these  accusations  against  her?  I 
beg  you  to  be  careful  what  you  say,  for  remember  it  is 
easier  to  accuse  than  it  is  to  prove  guilt.1' 

"Alas!  madam,  the  proof  is  only  too  easily  obtain- 
able. We  have  her  own  confession  and  her  own  con- 
dition to  substantiate  everything  I  say.  This  person 
is,  or  rather  was,  my  own  niece,  and  until  a  few  days 
ago  resided  at  my  house,  where  she  had  every  induce- 
ment to  lead  a  pure,  virtuous  and  upright  life.  I  say 
she  was  my  niece,  for  since  the  discovery  of  her  dis- 
honor, she  has  been  dead  to  us.  She  has  had  all  the 
advantages  of  the  church,  the  Sabbath  school  and  a 
Christian  home,  and  the  purest  and  best  of  associa- 
tions. She  was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  young  man! 
who  was  considered  a  most  eligible  and  wealthy  con- 
nection, and  who  was  a  perfect  gentleman.  Such,  how- 
ever, was  the  depravity  of  this  girl,  that  she  allowed 
herself  to  be  seduced  by  her  fiance^,  and  what  is  still 
worse,  she  became  pregnant,  and  is  now  plainly  in  that 
condition.  The  young  man  paid  the  penalty  of  his  sin 
by  being  killed  in  an  accident  to  a  cable  "car  in  the 
La  Salle  street  tunnel  several  weeks  ago,  which  cir- 
cumstance we  are  obliged  to  confess  a  direct  visitation 
of  Providence.  A  few  days  ago  this  girl  confessed  to 
my  wife  that  she  had  been  guilly  of  the  worst  of 
crimes,  with  her  intended,  and  when  my  wife  informed 


152  LOMA, 

her  of  her  condition  she  did  not  have  sufficient  sense 
of  shame  to  even  profess  remorse.  We,  of  course,  ex- 
pelled her  from  our  home,  and  we  heard  no  more  of  her 
until  my  wife  recognized  her  in  your  carriage  on  the 
boulevard  a  few  days  ago.  We  were  at  first  dum- 
founded,  but  later  inquiry  developed  the  fact  that  she 
was  here  as  your  guest.  I  do  not  know  by  what 
measure  of  deceit  she  has  succeeded  in  imposing  herself 
upon  you  as  a  respectable  person,  but  I  presume  that 
this  explanation,  for  which  I  hold  myself  responsible, 
will  enable  you  to  see  your  way  clear  to  her  immediate 
expulsion." 

"The  circumstances  of  her  admission  to  my  house  are 
simply  these,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  quietly.  "After  being 
driven  from  your  home,  she  wandered  three  days  and 
two  nights  upon  the  street,  when,  in  her  misery  and 
despair,  she  attempted  suicide  by  throwing  herself 
into  Lake  Michigan  from  the  pier  at  the  foot  of  Van 
Buren  street.  She  was  rescued  by  a  gentleman  who 
is  also  our  guest,  and  by  him  and  my  son  brought  to 
this  house,  where  she  has  since  remained." 

"How  unfortunate,"  groaned  the  visitor.  "Would  to 
God,  madam,  she  had  succeeded  in  her  attempt,  for 
living,  she  can  only  be  a  source  of  misery  to  herself 
and  a  disgrace  to  those  who  are  unfortunately  associ- 
ated with  her.  My  wife  has  been  almost  crazy  with 
grief  since  this  calamity,  for  our  position  in  society 
is  among  the  best,  and  my  wife  is  president  of  the  mis- 
sionary society  of  one  of  our  leading  churches,  and  you 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  153 

know  how  seriously  such  an  occurrence  affects  one's  so- 
cial standing." 

"I  infer  from  jour  remarks,  sir,  that  your  wife's  grief 
and  your  own  discomfiture  arise  mainly  from  the  fear 
of  disaster  to  your  social  position.  You  do  not  seem 
to  have  any  consideration  or  sympathy  for  the  unfortu- 
nate girl." 

"Why,  surely,  madam,  you  would  not  expect  me  to 
show  sympathy  toward  a  depraved  and  unchaste  per- 
son, where  the  honor  and  social  standing  of  my  family 
are  concerned,"  exclaimed  Mr.  McDonald,  warmly. 

"I  expect  you  to  show  justice,  at  least,"  said  Mrs. 
Bell.  "You  have  not  proved,  as  yet,  that  Myrtle  Burn- 
ham  is  either  depraved  or  unchaste.  Before  I  reach  a 
decision  in  this  case  I  desire  to  know  all  the  circum- 
stances, that  I  may  act  intelligently,  and  place  the 
blame,  if  there  is  any,  where  it  rightfully  belongs." 

"Madam,  I  fail  to  understand  you.  Have  I  not  told 
you  that  this  young  woman  has  been  seduced,  that  she 
is  even  now  pregnant,  and  that  she  has  confessed  these 
circumstances  to  my  wife.  As  a  respectable,  Christian 
woman,  what  more  can  you  demand?" 

"I  am  not  a  Christian,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  with  dignity, 
"but  I  will  discuss  this  matter  with  you  from  a  Chris- 
tian standpoint,  if  you  please.  As  far  as  you  have  pro- 
ceeded with  your  statement,  you  have  only  brought  two 
fads  in  evidence,  namely,  that  she  is  a  young  unmarried 
woman,  and  thai  she  is  now  pregnant.  Have  you  any 
other  evidences  of  her  depravity?" 

"T  do  not  see  that  more  could  be  required." 


154  LOMA, 

"I  differ  with  you.  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  was 
in  precisely  the  same  condition  at  one  time,  yet  you 
consider  her  the  most  blessed  of  women,  and  worship 
the  fruit  of  her  womb  as  your  God.  You  surely  would 
not  claim  that  a  depraved  mother  could  bring  forth 
such  a  son  as  Jesus." 

"But,  my  dear  Mrs.  Bell,  that  was  different." 

"In  what  respect,  pray?" 

"Why,  he  was  God." 

"Very  well.  If  he  was  God  and  was  conceived  in 
that  way,  then  if  there  is  any  distinction  between  be- 
ing conceived  in  or  out  of  wedlock,  it  is  more  godlike 
to  be  illegitimate  than  it  is  to  be  legitimate.  If  you  re- 
gard him  simply  as  a  man,  then  the  only  criterion  by 
which  we  may  judge  is  his  character  and  works.  But 
if  he  was  really  God,  by  coming  into  the  world  in  that 
way  he  manifested  in  the  clearest  manner  his  disap- 
proval of  the  barbarous  custom  of  marriage,  which 
then,  as  now,  was  simply  the  badge  of  the  enslave- 
ment of  woman.  I  find  that  he  still  further  exempli- 
fied his  disapproval  of  marriage  by  remaining  single 
himself." 

"Madam,  you  astonish  me.  You  surely  do  not  mean 
to  claim  that  the  Son  of  God  approved  of  adultery  and 
fornication." 

"Certainly  not.  But  there  is  a  vast  difference  be- 
tween adultery  and  fornication  and  the  expression  of 
pure  love,  in  a  natural  way.  When  you  exalt  mar- 
riage as  the  only  test  of  purity,  you  are  making  a  stu- 
pendous mistake.     There  is  as  much  prostitution  in 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  155 

marriage  as  there  is  out  of  it.  Love  existed  in  the 
human  constitution  before  marriage  laws  or  customs, 
and  it  will  survive  after  they  have  perished." 

"Do  you  not  believe  that  marriage  is  a  divine  institu- 
tion, and  that  fornication  and  adultery  are  the  worst 
possible  crimes?" 

"By  no  means.  Marriage  is  simply  the  invention  of 
priests,  kings  and  politicians,  used  for  purely  political 
purposes.  Applying  the  tests  of  the  highest  Christian 
standards,  the  actions  of  Jesus  and  his  blessed  mother, 
I  find  that  both  condemned  the  custom  by  their  ac- 
tions, and  Jesus  by  his  express  words  refused  to  con- 
demn a  woman  taken  in  adultery.  I  do  not  find  that  he 
ever  approved  the  custom  by  any  action  or  word.  I 
honor  his  judgment,  and  from  the  standpoint  of  one 
who  is  not  a  Christian  there  are  far  worse  crimes  than 
either  adultery  or  fornication,  and  I  do  not  hestitate  to 
tell  you  that  one  of  them  consists  in  turning  a  defense- 
less girl  from  a  home,  where  she  has  a  right  to  protec- 
tion, out  upon  the  street  without  resources,  where  she 
is  exposed  to  every  temptation  that  can  beset  mind  or 
body,  and  likely  to  fall  into  the  most  horrible  evils 
that  exist.  There  are  conditions  that  are  worse  than 
death,  and  to  expose  a  young,  innocent,  and  defenseless 
girl  to  them  is  worse  than  murder." 

Mrs.  Bell's  visitor  regarded  her  in  silent  astonish- 
ment. He  sat  nervously  clasping  his  hands  and  biting 
his  lips,  which  were  dry  and  colorless. 

"Now,  Mr.  McDonald,  we  may  as  well  come  to  the 
vital  point  in  this  matter  at  once.    I  believe  that  you 


156  bOMA, 

are  a.  man  of  good  impulses,  and  naturally  upright  and 
kind,  but  you  are  laboring  under  a  horrible  mistake, 
and  you  have  committed  an  act  of  the  greatest  in- 
humanity, while  you  believed  you  were  doing  your 
duty.  I  do  not  blame  you,  but  I  do  hold  in  utter  con- 
tempt and  detestation  the  execrable  philosophy  which 
has  blinded  you  to  the  dictates  of  affection  and  justice. 
Now,  sir,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  you  became  guard- 
ian for  Myrtle  when  she  was  ten  years  of  age,  and  since 
the  death  of  her  mother,  which  occurred  at  that  time, 
you  have  directed  her  education,  her  father  having  died 
seventeen  years  ago." 

"That  is  true." 

"Now,  will  you  please  inform  me  to  what  extent 
Myrtle  has  been  instructed  in  the  details  of  physiology, 
especially  that  part  which  relates  to  the  sexual  nature 
and  the  processes  of  reproduction?" 

"Why,  madam,  I  do  not  consider  that  the  topics  you 
mention  are  fit  subjects  for  a  young  and  unmarried 
female  to  study  at  all.  We  never  mentioned  them  in 
her  presence,  much  less  made  them  a  part  of  her  educa- 
tion." 

"Just  so.  And  yet  you  exposed  her  to  the  society  of 
a  young  and  amorous  man,  where  she  was  sure  to  be 
confronted  with  the  temptation  to  indulge  in  sexual 
intercourse,  without  the  slightest  information  or  knowl- 
edge as  to  its  nature  and  consequences.  You  required 
her  to  continue  chaste,  when  you  never  gave  her  an 
opportunity  to  know  the  difference  between  chastity 
and  unchastitv,  or  in  what  unchastitv  consisted.  With- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  I57 

out  the  slightest  preparation  for  the  ordeal,  you  ex- 
posed her  to  conditions  which  have,  in  all  ages,  proven 
too  much  for  the  established  principles  of  the  wisest 
and  best  of  men,  and  because  she  ignorantly  trans- 
gressed a  social  custom  which  she  had  no  opportunity 
to  understand,  you  consider  her  vicious  and  depraved. 
Do  you  think  this  accords  with  justice  or  reason?" 

The  visitor  was  silent,  but  his  face  changed  color 
and  he  was  evidently  very  much  disturbed.  Mrs.  Bell 
paused  a  moment  to  give  him  time  to  think,  and  then 
resumed : 

"There  is  another  aspect  in  which  we  ought  to  con- 
sider this  question.  Suppose  we  admit,  for  the  sake  of 
argument,  that  Myrtle  had  willfully  sinned.  What 
should  we  do  with  a  sinner?  What  did  Jesus  say  we 
should  do?  You  said  that  you  came  here  to  discharge 
your  duty  as  a  Christiau.  Can  you  find  the  place  in 
the  Bible  where  Jesus  ever  persecuted  any  one?  Did 
he  follow  the  woman  who  was  taken  in  adultery  to 
see  that  she  did  not  associate  with  decent  people,  and 
to  warn  them  against  her?  Nay,  do  we  not  find,  on 
the  contrary  that  he  gave  even  his  own  loving  com- 
panionship to  the  Magdalen,  out  of  whom  he  had  cast 
seven  devils?  Suppose  that  Jesus  had  been  present  at 
your  house  when  you  expelled  this  dear  girl  and  sent  her 
forth  from  your  home  to  wander  on  the  streets  of  Chi- 
cago, do  you  really  think  he  would  have  approved  of 
your  action?'' 

Mr.  McDonald's  lips  trembled  while  he  muttered 
the  words,  "But  Jesus  was  different." 


158  LOMA, 

"Yes,- Mr.  McDonald,  he  was  different  from  the  aver- 
age Christian  of  to-day.  If  he  had  come  into  your 
Bible  class  last  Sunday,  you  would  have  regarded 
him  as  a  tramp.  If  he  had  brought  with  him 
the  women  he  associated  with  when  he  was  on  earth, 
you  would  have  sent  for  the  patrol  wagon.  But  your 
religion  professes  to  encourage  you  to  follow  him  and 
be  like  him.  My  religion  permits  me  to  admire  him 
and  imitate  his  actions  as  near  as  I  can  in  my  humble 
way.  I  do  not  expect  to  meet  him  at  the  judgment 
seat,  but  you  profess  that  you  do.  Assuming  that  you 
are  right,  what  are  you  going  to  say  when  he  asks  you 
what  you  have  done  'unto  the  least  of  these,'  the  girl 
who  was  intrusted  to  your  education  and  protection?" 

Mr,  McDonald  groaned.  He  wiped  his  eyes  with  his 
handkerchief  and  said  nothing.  The  philanthropist 
continued: 

"I  read  in  your  Bible  this  definition  of  true  religion : 

"'Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the 
Father  is  this;  to  visit  the  widows  and  the  fatherless  in 
their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  front  the 
world.' 

"Now,  my  dear  brother,  the  very  worst  that  can  be 
said  of  Myrtle  when  your  wife  discovered  her  condition 
last  week,  is,  that  she  was  in  affliction.  She  had  done 
no  willful  wrong,  for  she  knew  nothing  of  the  conse- 
quences of  her  act,  and  her  ignorance  was  the  direct 
result  of  education.  She  was  the  fatherless  and  in 
affliction.  How  did  3011  visit  her?  What  account  can 
you  render  of  your  actions  toward  her  at  the  Christian 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENT'S.  159 

day  of  judgment?  Are  you  without  siu  yourself  iu 
this  direction?  Are  you  able  to  cast  the  first  stone  at 
an  unchaste  woman,  admitting  that  she  is  willfully 
guilty  of  fornication?" 

Mr.  McDonald  could  staud  no  more.  He  rose  ab- 
ruptly and  took  his  leave,  saying: 

"Madam,  I  do  not  understand  this.  Perhaps  I  have 
done  wrong.  I  must  have  time  to  think.  I  will  call 
again." 

He  went  out  wiping  his  eyes  and  pulling  his  hat 
down  over  them,  and  as  Mrs.  Bell  closed  the  door  she 
noticed  that  his  steps  were  unsteady  as  he  walked 
away  from  the  house. 

Mrs.  Bell  returned  to  the  conservatory,  where  Myrtle, 
Loma.  and  the  doctor  listened  eagerly  to  her  report  of 
the  conversation.     Myrtle  was  much  affected. 

"Oh,  I  wish  they  would  learn  the  truth,  and  let  me 
love  them,"  she  exclaimed.  "They  were  always  good 
and  kind  to  me,  until  this  happened,  and  I  would  be 
perfectly  happy  if  they  would  only  see  their  mistake 
and  trust  me  as  they  did  before.  Of  course  I  do  not 
wish  to  return  to  their  home,  for  I  am  much  happier 
here,  but  it  would  relieve  my  mind  to  know  that  there 
was  no  ill  will  between  us.  In  my  present  surround- 
ings I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  any  enmity  or  harshness 
toward  any  one,  and  I  do  not  want  it  expressed  toward 
me." 

"You  are  rapidly  developing  the  Christ  spirit,  be- 
loved,"' said  Loma,  as  he  embraced  her  and  imprinted 
a  kiss  upon  1km-  forehead.     "I  hope  that  your  wishes 


160  LOMA, 

may  be  gratified,  and  from  what  our  dear  mother  here 
tells  us,  I  think  we  may  confidently  hope  that  your 
uncle  may  soon  be  converted.  Let  us  celebrate  her 
victory  with  a  song." 

The  friends  repaired  to  the  music  room,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  the  perfumed  air  vibrated  with  the  harmoni- 
ous blending  of  human  voices  in  an  expression  of 
triumphant  love. 


CHAPTER   XII. 


RECONCILIATION. 

"For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly 
Father  will  also  forgive  you." 

While  Loina  was  thus  engaged  in  implanting  in 
the  mind  of  Myrtle  the  germs  of  the  great  truths  which 
her  offspring  was  destined  to  teach  to  the  world,  his 
devoted  assistants  were  no  less  conscientious  in  the 
performance  of  their  duties  in  preparing  her  for  the 
physical  ordeal  through  which  she  was  about  to  pass. 
Both  the  doctor  and  his  mother  were  enthusiastic  stu- 
dents of  gyna?cology  and  had  for  years  made  a  special- 
ty of  conditions  favorable  to  the  best  results  in  child- 
birth. Now  that  a  lively  personal  interest  was  joined 
to  professional  pride,  in  the  case  in  hand,  they  made 
elaborate  arrangements  to  procure  for  Myrtle  every 
influence  which  would  secure  her  comfort,  safety  and 
happiness,  as  well  as  conduce  to  the  perfection  of  her 
offspring.  In  all  of  this  they  were  warmly  assisted  by 
Loma,  who  brought  to  their  aid  not  only  the  immense 
stock  of  new  ideas  he  had  imported  from  his  native 
planet  but  also  the  inventive  genius  and  artistic  talent 
of  his  superb  intelligence. 

Her  diet  was  the  first  consideration.  Mrs.  Bell  ex- 
plained to  her  that  now  that  the  bones  of  her  child 

11  (161) 


162  LOMA, 

were  beginning  to  form,  it  was  necessary  that  she 
should  avoid  all  such  food  as  would  result  in  hardening 
them  to  such  a  degree  as  would  render  her  parturition 
painful.  She  was  instructed  that  it  was  necessary 
that  her  own  bones  should  be  subjected  to  a  softening 
process,  in  order  that  they  might  be  rendered  pliable 
and  thus  decrease  the  resistance  to  the  passage  of  the 
child  from  the  internal  cavity,  through  the  opening  of 
the  pelvis.  She  was  assured  that  if  these  precautions 
were  carried  out,  she  would  not  only  pass  through  the 
critical  experience  of  labor  with  little,  if  any,  pain  but 
that  her  offspring  would  be  greatly  protected,  and  that 
by  a  proper  course  of  diet  after  birth,  his  bones  would 
be  rendered  sufficiently  strong  before  he  would  have 
any  occasion  to  support  himself  upon  them,  and  that 
her  own  system  would  quickly  recover  its  necessary 
rigidity.  Myrtle  submitted  to  all  of  these  arrange- 
ments with  a  ready  compliance,  so  perfectly  did  she 
repose  confidence  in  the  skill  and  superior  wisdom  of 
her  devoted  friends. 

Accordingly,  all  the  water  that  she  drank  was  care- 
fully distilled  to  remove  the  lime  and  other  earthy 
material  held  in  solution,  and  all  articles  of  food  con- 
taining the  same  principles  were  carefully  excluded. 
She  was  provided  with  an  abundance  of  the  best  fruit 
on  the  market,  and  several  barrels  of  apples  were 
secured  for  her  especial  benefit.  These  she  ate,  either 
raw  or  cooked,  as  she  desired,  and  grapes,  tomatoes 
and  melons,  were  freely  provided.  A  limited  quantity 
of  lemons  and  oranges  were  added  to  this,  but  as  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS.  183 

doctor  believed  and  Loma  confirmed,  it  was  not  con- 
sidered best  to  indulge  in  any  great  degree  in  fruits 
that  were  not  indigenous  to  the  climate  of  her  res- 
idence. These  were  supplemented  with  onions  and 
green  vegetables,  with  a  limited  quantity  of  rice,  sago, 
tapioca,  figs  and  raisins.  Potatoes  were  excluded,  and 
turnips,  beets  and  such  vegetables  as  consisted  of 
roots  were  not  favored.  The  general  principle  adopted 
in  this  diet  was,  that  whatever  grew  above  the  ground, 
as  the  fruit  of  the  plant,  was  acceptable,  while  roots 
and  tubers  were  not.  The  single  exception  to  this  was 
onions,  and  as  these  were  only  used  as  a  relish  in 
small  quantities,  and  were  valuable  for  their  anti- 
scorbutic qualities,  they  were  considered  desirable. 
Pure  honey,  molasses,  sugar,  butter,  oils  and  vinegar 
were  allowed  in  such  quantities  as  she  desired,  but 
all  bone-hardening  and  muscle-producing  foods  were 
rigorously  excluded.  Hence  she  used  no  bread,  either 
of  corn  or  wheat,  and  very  little  meat  of  any  hind.  An 
occasional  indulgence  was  permitted  in  meait,  but 
when  used  it  was  usually  fat,  and  of  limited  quantity. 
On  the  subject  of  meat  eating,  Loma  expressed  himself 
as  follows: 

"In  the  present  stage  of  your  civilization,  the  con- 
sumption of  meat  is  a  necessity  to  many  of  your  citi- 
zens. Meat  is  nourishing  and  stimulating,  and  incites 
the  consumer  to  the  display  of  great  energy,  and  often 
to  cruelty.  Meat-eating  nations  are  usually  cruel  and 
selfish,  and  as  long  as  you  have  to  contend  with  cruel 
and    selfish    conditions,   your   citizens   will    need    the 


164  LOMA, 

stimulating  effect  of  a  meat  diet.  But  when  you  reach 
the  perfect  form  of  civilization  which  exists  in  Venus, 
the  consumption  of  all  animal  food  will  cease.  Conse- 
quently, for  myself,  I  desire  to  follow  an  exclusively 
vegetable  and  fruit  regimen,  but  I  do  not  consider  that 
you  have  reached  the  stage  when  you  can  safely  do 
without  meat." 

Myrtle  was  kept  in  a  state  of  absolute  cleanliness  by 
frequent  baths  in  tepid  water,  and  occasional  sponge 
baths  in  cold  water,  for  which  services  the  trained  skill 
of  Nora  was  enlisted.  The  exposure  of  her  body  in 
the  equable  temperature  of  the  conservatory,  and  tho 
action  of  the  sunlight  on  her  skin,  produced  a  peculiar 
strengthening  and  beautifying  effect,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  second  month  of  her  stay  at  the  residence  of  Doctor 
Bell,  she  was  more  beautiful  than  at  first. 

During  all  of  this  time  she  had  been  subject  to  a 
thorough  but  not  fatiguing  course  of  gymnastics.  Mrs. 
Bell  was  an  enthusiastic  teacher  of  physical  culture 
and  had  a  large  class  of  young  people  whom  she  had 
personally  instructed,  and  who  were  enthusiastic  con- 
verts to  all  of  her  physiological  and  social  theories. 
Myrtle  was  introduced  to  these  young  people,  and  im- 
mediately became  a  general  favorite.  Among  these 
liberal  minded  and  thoroughly  enlightened  people,  her 
condition,  instead  of  being  regarded  as  a  disgrace, 
entitled  her  at  once  to  generous  love  and  considera- 
tion. Social  parties  and  clubs  were  organized  in  her 
honor,  and  she  was  constantly  made  to  feel  that  she 
was  an  honored  guest.    Dancing  parties  occurred  at 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  165 

least  twice  a  week,  and  while  she  indulged  in  this 
exercise  with  moderation,  she  was  permitted  to  have 
a  full  and  complete  enjoyment  of  her  strength,  and  was 
not  encouraged  to  consider  herself  an  invalid  merely 
because  she  was  pregnant. 

In  this  way  the  time  passed  agreeably,  and  she  was 
sufficiently  employed  at  all  times  to  obtain  the  full  use 
of  all  her  faculties  without  becoming  fatigued,  and  in 
all  of  her  social  engagements  she  was  carefully  guarded 
against  the  possibility  of  an  unfortunate  accident. 
She  enjoyed  a  ride  in  the  carriage  every  pleasant  day, 
with  one  or  more  members  of  the  family,  and  took 
frequent  walks  through  the  parks  and  streets,  accom- 
panied by  the  doctor  or  Loma,  all  of  which  she  enjoyed 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  her  elastic  temperament. 

Under  the  careful  tuition  of  Loma,  she  was  daily 
engaged  in  those  forms  of  physical  and  mental  culture 
which  were  considered  desirable,  having  reference  to 
the  formation  of  the  brain  of  her  offspring.  Loma  had 
explained,  that  there  were  three  distinct  stages  of  edu- 
cational influences,  the  conditions  surrounding  the 
mother  at  the  time  of  her  impregnation,  the  impres- 
sions received  by  her  during  gestation,  and  the  train- 
ing imparted  after  birth.  The  conditions  surround- 
ing her  at  the  time  of  her  impregnation  had  been 
most  favorable,  owing  to  the  fact  that  she  had  con- 
ceived her  child  at  a  time  when  her  whole  system 
was  glowing  with  a  pure  expression  of  love  for  its 
father.  The  first  three  mouths  had  been  passed  by  her 
in  great  activity  of  mind  and  body,  which   was  most 


166  LOMA, 

favorable  for  the  operation  of  the  second  class  of  educa- 
tional influences,  to  wit,  the  impressions  received  by 
the  mother  during  pregnancy.  Loma  explained  that, 
during  this  period,  those  organs  of  the  brain  which 
were  occupied  with  the  faculties  of  observation,  the 
objective  intellect,  physical  energy  and  physical  love, 
were  being  rudimentarily  developed,  and  by  the  fact 
that  the  mother  during  these  months  was  kept  very 
active  in  the  expressions  of  the  same  faculties,  they 
would  be  strengthened  and  developed  in  the  child.  By 
this  means  she  also  escaped  all  of  the  distressing 
symptoms  of  "morning  sickness."  Mrs.  Bell  had 
always  believed  and  taught  her  patients,  that  this 
unpleasant  symptom  of  pregnancy  was  simply  the 
revenge  of  nature  for  the  general  inactivity  which  was 
practiced  by  most  ladies  as  soon  as  they  discovered 
themselves  to  be  pregnant,  and  often  induced  by  the 
confirmed  indolent  habits  of  the  patient.  She  was 
glad  to  find  her  doctrine  corroborated  by  Loma,  and 
as  Myrtle  yielded  to  the  advice  of  her  friends,  and 
performed  heartily  all  of  the  exercises  and  duties 
assigned  to  her,  which  she  realized  to  be  for  the  wel- 
fare of  herself  and  her  child,  the  results  were  highly 
satisfactory.  It  was  arranged  that  the  general  activity 
of  her  bodily  exercise  should  be  gradually  reduced  dur- 
ing the  fourth  and  fifth  month,  and  that  her  energy 
should  be  directed  more  toward  intellectual  and  con- 
structive employment,  involving  the  subjective  intel- 
lect, the  cultivation  of  prudence,  the  love  of  the  beauti- 
ful and  the  sublime,  and  the  extension  of  her  social 


A  CITIZEN  UF  VENUS.  167 

pleasures.  This  arrangement  corresponded  with  the 
second  period  of  brain  formation,  and  involved  the 
faculties  that  would  be  represented  in  those  organs  of 
(he  brain  that  are  located  iu  the  middle  portion.  The 
last  three  months  of  her  pregnancy  were  to  be  devoted 
to  the  higher  forms  of  logical  and  subjective  reasoning, 
the  cultivation  of  sympathy  and  dignity,  and  special 
exercises  in  benevolence,  mirthfulness,  hope,  faith  and 
reverence.  During  this  time  she  was  also  to  be  im- 
pressed with  the  firmness  and  justice  of  the  eternal 
truths  she  had  received  from  Loma,  and  the  dignity 
and  importance  of  her  exalted  office,  with  the  full  and 
adequate  realization  of  the  renown  which  must  inevita- 
bly accompany  it. 

As  she  was  now  passing  through  the  stage  when 
impressions  of  beauty  were  desirable,  the  doctor  ar- 
ranged that  every  morning,  as  soon  as  she  awakened, 
her  eyes  should  be  feasted  with  some  object  of  exquisite 
perfection.  For  that  purpose  he  ransacked  the  art 
stores  and  the  collections  of  his  friends,  and  provided 
a  new  object  of  beauty  at  least  twice  a  week.  Some- 
times it  was  a  beautiful  painting,  at  other  time's  a 
choice  piece  of  statuary,  and  as  often  some  lovely  floral 
design  in  which  colors  were  blended  in  perfect  har- 
mony. These  were  taken  into  Myrtle's  room  and  cov- 
ered with  a  beautiful  curtain,  just  at  the  foot  of  her 
bed.  While  she  was  asleep,  the  curtain  was  removed 
and  the  lights  arranged  so  as  to  produce  the  most 
desirable  effect  iu  the  morning  when  she  should  first 
behold  it.     Each  article  was  permitted  to  remain  as 


168  LOMA, 

long  as  she  desired  it,  and  when  her  senses  had  thor- 
oughly comprehended  it,  she  was  supplied  with  some- 
thing new.  Her  expressions  were  carefully  watched, 
to  see  that  she  was  not  wearied  by  this  process,  and 
occasionally  when  she  had  a  decided  attachment  to 
some  particular  work  of  great  beauty,  it  was  presented 
to  her  by  some  of  her  devoted  associates,  so  that  the 
gift  might  always  be  a  reminder  of  friendship  or  love. 

One  day  Lonia  came  in  from  a  walk  with  the  doctor, 
and  finding  Myrtle  in  the  parlor,  advanced  and  pre- 
sented her  with  a  beautiful  diamond  ring,  at  the  same 
time  paying  her  a  delightful  compliment,  and  con- 
gratulating her  on  having  reached  in  safety  the  middle 
day  of  her  pregnancy.  "This  is  a  custom  on  Venus," 
he  said,  as  he  placed  the  ring  on  her  finger,  "and  I  hope 
that  whenever  your  eyes  are  pleased  with  the  brill- 
iancy of  its  rays,  you  will  think  affectionately  and 
gratefully  of  the  brilliant  star  whose  rays  are  always 
directed  toward  you  in  paternal  benediction." 

Myrtle  was  deeply  affected,  and  embraced  him  with 
great  ardor.  "I  love  the  beautiful  planet,  every  time  I 
see  it  above  the  horizon,"  she  exclaimed.  "I  love  it  be- 
cause it  is  beautiful  and  good,  and  because  it  has  sent 
you  to  me.  I  love  it  because  upon  it  humanity  is  free 
and  maternity  is  honored.  But  tell  me  one  thing. 
Are  all  pregnant  women  upon  Venus  treated  as  I  am 
treated  by  you  and  these  dear  friends?" 

"Yes  indeed,"  said  Loma.  "Only  upon  Venus  we 
have  infinitely  better  facilities  than  are  even  furnished 
by  the  munificent  hospitality  we  are  at  present  enjoy- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  169 

ing.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  begin  the  discussion  of 
subjects  in  which  the  advanced  methods  we  pursue 
upon  iny  native  planet  will  be  explained  to  you,  and  I 
promise  you  that  you  will  be  delighted  to  know  them, 
and  that  when  you  realize  the  tremendous  advance 
which  must  occur  upon  this  planet,  from  the  teaching 
of  the  same  principles  by  your  son,  you  will  feel  that 
your  mission  is  indeed  an  exalted  one." 

"I  have  often  wondered,"  said  Myrtle,  "which  afford- 
ed the  most  happiness — to  live  in  a  place  where  all  the 
conditions  were  perfect,  or  to  feel  one's  self  a  potent 
factor  in  evolving  good  conditions  out  of  evil.  When 
I  was  a  child  I  used  to  read  of  the  struggles  of  those 
brave  men  and  women  who  led  the  battle  for  liberty 
in  behalf  of  the  African  slaves  on  this  continent,  and 
I  frequently  wished  that  I  had  been  born  a  generation 
sooner,  in  order  that  I  might  have  had  a  part  in  it. 
But  it  seems  that  there  are  battles  of  greater  magni- 
tude to  be  fought  to-day,  and  I  am  highly  favored  in 
having  a  share  in  them.  But  my  situation  is  so  much 
more  pleasant  than  those  who  fought  those  battles. 
I  do  not  think  that  it  takes  much  heroism  to  be  placed 
in  such  delightful  surroundings  and  be  ministered  to 
in  this  way." 

"My  dear  child,"  said  Loma,  smilingly,  "the  highest 
test  of  heroism  is  the  willingness  to  do  one's  duty  at 
the  right  time  and  in  the  right  way.  Your  duty  falls 
in  pleasant  places,  but  it  requires  great  strength  of 
character  to  endure  your  present  situation  without 
becoming   selfish   and    indifferent    to   the   rights   and 


170  LOMA, 

wrongs  of  others.  I  have  carefully  watched  your  con- 
duct, and  you  have  invariably  returned  a  full  measure 
of  love  for  all  of  the  favors  you  have  received,  and 
your  mind  has  been  constantly  on  the  alert  for  the 
best  possible  use  to  be  made  of  your  opportunities. 
As  long  as  you  maintain  this  high  standard,  you  will 
be  performing  the  duties  of  a  heroine,  and  you  will 
fight  and  win  a  battle  which  was  lost  by  Adam  and 
Eve,  and  by  many  others  since  the  civilization  of  this 
world  began." 

At  this  point  in  the  conversation,  the  door  bell  rang, 
and  Loma  and  Myrtle  retired  to  the  library.  The 
visitor  was  shown  into  the  parlor,  and  Mrs.  Bell  was 
summoned.  When  that  lady  reached  the  parlor  she 
recognized  in  her  visitor  Myrtle's  uncle,  Mr.  McDonald. 
He  looked  haggard  and  worn. 

Mrs.  Bell  greeted  him  cordially,  and  endeavored  to 
place  him  at  his  ease.  She  invited  him  to  be  seated,  but 
he  remained  standing  and  gave  every  evidence  of  being 
in  a  state  of  mental  distress.  Finally  he  exclaimed: 
"My  dear  madam,  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  I  am 
the  most  miserable  of  men.  Your  conversation  of  a 
few  days  ago  has  opened  my  eyes  to  the  utter  injustice 
of  my  action  toward  an  innocent  and  unfortunate 
girl,  who  had  a  claim  upon  my  protection  which  miser- 
ably failed  her  in  the  hour  of  need.  I  have  confessed 
my  sin  upon  my  knees  in  the  presence  of  my  God,  and 
I  have  come  to  acknowledge  my  transgression  before 
you,  and  to  beg  for  you  to  intercede  with  her  to  forgive 
me.     Thank  God,  she  is  yet  alive,  and  my  ignorance 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  171 

and  uncharitableness  has  had  no  worse  effect  than  to 
expose  her  to  perils,  from  which  by  the  mercy  of  God 
she  has  escaped.  I  can  never  express  my  gratitude  to 
Ilim,  and  to  you  and  your  friends  as  his  instruments, 
for  saving  me  from  the  commission  of  a  crime  which  I 
now  believe  with  you,  to  be  worse  than  murder.  AVill 
you  grant  me  the  favor  to  say  to  the  dear  girl,  that  I 
have  not  slept  since  I  was  here  from  remorse,  and  that 
unless  I  can  obtain  her  pardon  I  will  never  see  another 
happy  moment." 

"It  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to  intercede  for  you, 
my  dear  sir,"  said  the  philanthropist,  gently.  "With- 
out solicitation  on  the  part  of  any  one,  Myrtle  has 
declared  that  she  bears  you  no  malice,  and  only  awaits 
the  first  indication  on  your  part  of  a  desire  to  resume 
affectionate  relations,  to  meet  you  more  than  half  way. 
Such  is  the  beautiful  and  forgiving  nature  of  her  char- 
acter, that  I  do  not  believe  she  is  capable  of  harboring 
a  thought  of  revenge  or  enmity  against  any  one,  not 
even  those  who  have  wronged  her.  Shall  I  tell  her 
that  you  wish  to  see  her?" 

Mr.  McDonald  sank  down  upon  a  sofa,  covered  his 
face  with  his  handkerchief,  and  burst  into  tears.  "And 
this  is  the  girl  I  thought  was  vicious  and  depraved!" 
he  exclaimed.  "She  is  an  angel,  and  I  am  not  worthy 
to  touch  the  hem  of  her  garment.  Send  her  to  me 
that  I  ma}'  confess  my  inhumanity,  and  if  she  forgives 
me  I  will  know  that  God  has  done  likewise." 

Mis.  Bell  withdrew  from  the  parlor,  and  in  another 
moment   Myrtle  entered   the   room.     She  advanced  to 


172  LOMA, 

her  uncle's  side  and  placed  her  arm  around  his  neck, 
and  imprinted  a  kiss  upon  his  cheek.  "  Dear  uncle," 
she  said  softly,  "I  know  what  you  would  say,  and  I 
have  forgiven  all.  Do  not  think  of  it  again,  but  love 
me  as  you  always  have  and  let  us  be  happy.  It  was 
all  a  horrible  mistake." 

Her  uncle  caught  her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her  pas- 
sionately. "My  child,  my  precious  child !"  he  exclaimed, 
"can  you  forgive  the  ignorance  and  inhuman  conduct 
of  your  poor,  weak,  blind  uncle?  I  was  blinded  by 
prejudice,  and  by  the  slavish  adherence  to  conven- 
tional beliefs.  I  was  selfish  and  inconsiderate,  and  I 
allowed  my  pride  in  my  social  and  religious  position  to 
destroy  the  spirit  of  the  religion  I  professed.  Forgive 
me,  and  I  will  be  your  protector  and  guardian  hence- 
forth in  the  face  of  the  world,  and  of  my  wife." 

"Is  Aunt  Sarah  still  against  me?"  asked  Myrtle. 

"Alas!  my  child,  for  the  hollo wness  and  insincerity 
of  religious  profession.  Your  aunt  is  entirely  absorbed 
in  her  social  position  and  in  the  prestige  she  obtains 
from  the  presidency  of  a  missionary  society  which 
spends  thousands  of  dollars  annually  on  the  heathen 
in  foreign  lands,  and  which  is  powerless  to  soften  the 
hard  hearts  of  the  heathen  in  its  own  membership. 
I  know  now  that  I  was  entirely  dominated  by  her  in 
my  treatment  of  you,  fool,  coward  and  hypocrite  that  I 
was.  I  have  read  the  Bible,  argued,  wept  and  prayed 
with  her,  and  all  to  no  purpose.  But  I  have  realized 
my  own  duty,  and  in  spite  of  her  threats  and  curses, — 
yes,  she  cursed  me  when  I  told  her  I  was  coming  to  beg 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  173 

your  forgiveness, — I  am  here  to  offer  you  my  protection 
and  my  love,  and  to  say  that  I  despise  the  teaching  of 
the  formal  religion  which  has  caused  me  to  do  this 
great  wrong  to  you.  I  have  seen  your  Aunt  Mary,  and 
she  rejoices  in  my  changed  views.  She  sends  you  her 
love,  and  offers  you  a  home  with  her,  and  T  will  say 
that  you  shall  never  need  for  anything  while  I  live, 
and  in  my  will  you  shall  be  remembered  as  my  own 
daughter.  This  is  all  I  can  do  at  present  to  atone  for 
my  great  wrong,  but  if  you  will  accept  it,  I  shall  be 
happy  once  more  in  the  performance  of  my  duty  to  my 
sister's  child." 

"Dear  uncle,"  said  Myrtle,  as  she  kissed  him  on  the 
forehead,  "you  have  made  me  very  happy,  and  I  will 
be  able  to  relieve  you  from  all  embarrassment  in  the 
matter.  These  dear  friends  with  whom  I  now  have  a 
home,  have  adopted  me  as  a  member  of  the  family,  and 
I  am  very  happy.  If  I  should  go  to  Aunt  Mary's  now 
I  would  be  thrown  among  those  who  look  at  me  in 
very  much  the  same  spirit  as  Aunt  Sarah  does.  The 
people  of  your  church,  and  the  class  of  society  in  which. 
I  formerly  moved  are  all  blind  on  this  subject,  and  it 
will  require  the  coming  of  another  Messiah  to  convert 
them.  Here,  I  am  surrounded  by  those  who  love  and 
respect  me,  and  my  child  will  be  born  and  educated 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  If  you  will 
give  me  the  comfort  of  your  society  occasionally,  and 
Aunt  Mary  will  come  to  see  me  here,  I  shall  be  per- 
fectly happy.  I  love  you  both,  and  I  love  and  forgive 
Aunt  Sarah,  and  I  only  hope  she  will  also  see  her 


174  LOMA, 

mistake  some  day  and  be  converted  to  the  glorious 
truth.  Now  kiss  me,  and  know  that  I  have  forgotten 
all  the  unpleasant  things  that  have  occurred,  and  we 
will  never  mention  them  again.  I  want  to  introduce 
you  to  my  friends,  and  show  you  what  a  beautiful 
home  I  have."' 

Pressing  an  ardent  and  forgiving  kiss  upon  her 
uncle's  lips,  Myrtle  left  the  room  and  soon  returned 
with  Loma,  whom  she  gracefully  introduced.  Doctor 
Bell  soon  entered,  and  Mr.  McDonald  took  occasion  to 
feelingly  thank  both  gentlemen  for  their  rescue  of  Myr- 
tle, whom  he  now  referred  to  in  terms  of  the  wannest 
affection.  Mrs.  Bell  was  the  recipient  of  a  graceful 
tribute  from  the  thoroughly  reformed  pharisee,  and 
when  he  had  recovered  his  ease  of  manner  and  felt 
secure  in  the  respect  of  Myrtle's  friends,  who  were  too 
liberal  to  hold  his  mistake  against  him  after  he  had 
confessed  his  fault,  Mr.  McDonald  proved  himself  to  be 
a  warm-hearted,  accomplished  and  lovable  man.  An 
hour  was  spent  in  delightful  conversation,  and  then  he 
cook  his  leave,  after  accepting  an  invitation  from  Mrs. 
Bell  to  bring  his  sister  and  dine  with  her  on  the  follow- 
ing Tuesday. 

Myrtle  was  rauiant  with  joy  after  her  uncle  left,  and 
was  warmly  congratulated  by  her  friends  on  his  con- 
version to  her  defense. 

"I  owe  it  all  to  you,"  she  said,  gratefully,  to  Mrs. 
Bell.  "I  believe  you  would  convert  Aunt  Sarah,  too,  if 
you  could  meet  her  personally  as  you  did  Uncle  John." 

"I  admire  his  courage,"  said  Doctor  Bell.     "Consider- 


A  CITIZEN'  OF  VENUS.  175 

ing  his  education  and  prejudices,  and  the  character  of 

his  associations,  it  is  a  remarkable  exhibition  of 
courage,  conscientiousness,  independence  and  intelli- 
gence for  him  to  do  what  he  has  done  to-day.  An 
ordinary  man  can  go  forward  in  what  he  knows  to  be 
his  duty,  when  he  has  never  committed  himself  to  a 
contrary  course.  But  it  takes  a  brave  man  io  acknowl- 
edge a  wrong,  to  apologize  or  ask  forgiveness  of  one  he 
has  wronged." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE  CODE  OF  OALLIIEIM. 

"Alone  he  stands. 
Girt  with  the  flawless  armor  of  the  Truth, 
And  in  one  hand  a  torch  whose  light  dispels 
The  mists  of  superstition,  as  the  sun 
Drives  doubts  and  shadows  from  the  face  of  morn. 
The  other  holds  a  sword  whose  keenest  edge 
Is  turned  against  the  mortal  heart  of  Error, 
A  trenchant  blade,  and  wielded  by  an  arm 
That  knows  not  fear,  nor  halts  at  criticism." 

Doctor  Bell  had  followed  with  rapt  attention  every 
lesson  which  Loma  had  delivered  at  which  he  could 
possibly  be  present.  The  young  physician  was  a  bright 
student  and  had  made  very  copious  notes  of  every  one 
of  the  short  lectures  delivered  by  Loma,  being  fully 
resolved  that  nothing  should  escape  him  which  would 
add  to  his  ability  to  perform  successfully  his  part  of 
the  great  mission  of  instruction  to  Myrtle's  son,  when 
he  reached  the  age  at  which  he  would  be  committed  to 
his  charge.  Loma  had  planned  that  the  childhood  of 
the  coming  prodigy  should  be  spent  under  the  maternal 
instruction  of  Mrs.  Bell  and  Myrtle,  and  that  when  he 
reached  puberty,  his  education  should  then  be  directed 
by  the  doctor.  These  matters  had  been  fully  discussed 
and  agreed  to  by  the  friends,  and  all  their  energies 
were  harmoniously  directed  toward  the  consummat  ion 
of  the  great  plan. 

V2  (177) 


178  LOMA, 

More  than  two  months  had  passed  rapidly  and  pleas- 
antly away,  since  the  arrival  of  Loma  upon  the  earth, 
and  the  time  had  been  most  thoroughly  utilized.  Myr- 
tle was  now  in  the  second  period  of  her  pregnancy,  and 
according  to  the  laws  of  gestation  which  Loma  had 
explained,  she  was  building  in  the  brain  of  her  child 
those  organs  which  related  to  the  constructive  powers, 
the  reasoning  faculties,  and  the  instincts  of  preserva- 
tion and  sociability.  She  became  more  cautious  and 
prudent,  for  her  increasing  size  and  weight  constantly 
reminded  her  of  her  condition  and  the  care  necessary 
to  prevent  accidents.  The  select  circle  of  friends  to 
whom  she  had  been  introduced  by  Mrs.  Bell  became 
still  more  solicitous  and  interested  in  her  daily.  Never 
a  day  passed  but  she  was  reminded  of  the  affectionate 
interest  of  some  one  of  the  circle  by  a  personal  visit, 
usually  accompanied  by  some  loving  token  or  gift, 
most  frequently  some  beautifully  fashioned  garment 
designed  either  for  herself  or  the  little  one  who  was 
soon  to  bless  her  with  his  appearance.  Every  mani- 
festation of  this  character  caused  Myrtle  to  thrill  with 
the  sweet  sensations  of  love  and  pride,  for  they  were 
nearly  all  the  work  of  the  hands  of  the  givers,  and 
bore  to  Myrtle  the  delightful  assurance  that  she  was 
loved  and  cared  for.  In  this  way  her  mind  continued 
to  expand  and  grow,  until  one  day  when  some  special 
tribute  of  affection  had  aroused  her  enthusiasm  to  a 
high  degree  she  exclaimed:  "If  this  continues  I  shall 
feel  that  I  am  the  best  loved  woman  on  earth,  and  I 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS.  179 

shall  glow  like  Loma  with  the  magnetism  of  its  recip- 
rocation." 

"That  is  precisely  as  we  wish  you  to  feel,  my 
love,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  kissing  her.  "And  if  you  feel  that 
way  now  it  will  become  the  permanent  condition  of 
your  child,  and  he  will  be  a  worthy  representative  of 
Loma,  as  Jesus  was  of  Manrolin." 

Myrtle  became,  during  this  period,  intensely  inter- 
ested in  art,  especially  in  its  constructive  forms,  and 
in  the  expression  of  the  beautiful.  Sometimes  her 
rapture  over  these  subjects  became  sublime,  and  she 
wrote  articles  and  poems,  which  were  gems  of  literary 
construction  and  artistic  conception.  Much  time  was 
now  devoted  to  music,  and  here,  also,  she  displayed 
her  constructive  and  perfective  powers  by  producing 
musical  compositions  of  a  high  grade.  Under  the  tuition 
of  Loma,  she  progressed  rapidly  in  the  study  of 
philosophy  and  logic,  and  entered  into  debates  with 
her  friends  with  extraordinary  spirit  and  lofty  courage. 
Loma  was  delighted  with  the  progress  made  by  his 
pupil,  and  when  he  had  thoroughly  satisfied  himself 
that  she  had  mastered  all  of  the  preliminary  instruc- 
tions he  had  designed  for  her,  he  thrilled  her  and  his 
two  other  auditors,  one  day  in  the  morning  session  in 
the  conservatory,  by  announcing  that  he  was  now 
ready  to  relate  the  substance  of  a  description  of  civil- 
ization as  it  existed  on  his  native  planet 

Myrtle  clapped  her  hands  with  pleasure,  while  Mrs. 
Bell  exclaimed,  "How  delightful!  I  have  been  dying 
with  curiosity  to  ask  you  about  the  condition  of  society 


180  LOMA, 

in  Venus,  but  we  have  been  so  thoroughly  entertained 
by  what  you  have  told  us  on  other  subjects,  that  I  have 
not  found  the  opportunity,  and,  moreover,  I  was  afraid 
if  I  did  ask,  that  you  might  decline  on  the  ground 
that  we  were  not  ready  to  comprehend  it." 

"All  in  good  time,"  said  Loma,  smiling.  "You  were 
not  ready  for  it  two  months  ago,  but  now  that  I  have 
criticised  some  of  the  conditions  which  exist  here  on 
earth,  you  have  a  right  to  know  how  things  are  man- 
aged with  us,  who  have  developed  beyond  your  present 
stage." 

"The  civilization  of  Venus,"  said  Loma,  as  he  began 
his  narrative,  "while  it  is  many  centuries  in  advance  of 
this,  is  not  so  essentially  different  from  what  you  will 
attain  to  in  a  short  time  as  you  may  suppose.  To 
make  myself  clearer,  I  will  say  that  while  a  people  are 
engaged  in  advancing  from  ignorance  to  intelligence, 
there  is  great  rapidity  of  progress,  but  when  complete 
intelligence  is  reached  there  is  no  progress  necessary. 
Our  people  reached  a  solution  of  the  problem  of  ex- 
istence mamy  centuries  ago,  and  since  that  time  they 
have  been  living  right,  and  in  accord  with  nature, 
hence  there  has  been  no  change  except  the  slow  growth 
toward  higher  forms  of  intelligence  as  new  senses  and 
faculties  have  been  evolved.  These  only  occur  with 
the  changing  conditions  of  natural  surroundings,  which 
you  will  uuderstand  are  not  rapid. 

"The  essential  difference  between  your  people  and 
ours,  at  present,  is,  that  your  citizens  are  impelled 
forward  by  resistless  energy  toward  progress,  while 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  181 

ours  are  contented  and  happy  ;is  they  are,  because 
they  are  enjoying  correct  conditions,  while  you  are 
straining  every  energy  to  develop  better  conditions 
than  those  you  now  have.  Now,  some  of  the  animals 
on  this  planet  have  developed  to  perfectly  correct  con- 
ditions, according  to  the  limit  of  their  faculties,  hence 
they  live  perfectly  contented  lives  and  make  no  remark- 
able progress,  because  progress  is  not  necessary.  Man 
will  continue  to  struggle  toward  correct  conditions 
until  he  reaches  them,  and  you  have  already  reached 
a  comprehension  of  them  in  a  large  degree,  in  some 
of  your  faculties,  and  your  complete  civilization  will 
date,  as  ours  does,  from  the  time  when,  as  a  race,  you 
recognize  the  principle  of  mathematical  equity  in  all 
the  departments  of  action,  and  the  true  nature  of  the 
constitution  of  man.  You  have  the  means  of  the  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  in  your  hands  already,  and  if  I 
can  impress  upon  you,  and  through  you  especially  upon 
Myrtle's  offspring,  the  comprehension  of  the  true  solu- 
tion, he  will  be  able  to  teach  it  to  mankind,  and  there- 
after it  will  only  be  a  matter  of  a  few  generations  of 
men  and  women  created  upon  correct  principles, 
which  will  enable  you  to  reach  a  plane  of  life  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  now  exists  upon  Venus." 

His  auditors  drew  closer  with  breathless  interest. 
Lama  rose  from  his  seat  and  requested  them  to  do 
the  same.  He  then  formed  a  circle  by  joining  hands 
and  raising  his  eyes  toward  the  sun  which  glowed 
through  the  opening  in  the  dome  of  the  conservatory, 
exclaimed:       "Source    of    Power    aud    all     Goodness! 


182  LOMA, 

give  me  strength  to  perform  my  duty!  May  the  words 
of  this  hour  be  uttered  in  wisdom,  and  may  the  effect 
be  the  elevation  of  mankind  to  happiness  in  the  domain 
of  universal  love!" 

As  he  spoke  this  invocation,  his  body  glowed  with 
magnetism  until  it  was  as  bright  as  the  sun,  and  the 
glow  communicated  itself  to  the  bodies  of  Myrtle,  Mrs. 
Bell  and  Edward,  while  they  thrilled  with  the  deli- 
cious sensations  which  Loma's  magnetism  always  im- 
parted. He  then  released  their  hands  and  seated  him- 
self to  begin  his  instruction. 

"The  foundation  of  a  correct  civilization,"  said 
Loma,  "begins  with  the  rejection  of  the  belief  in  the 
supernatural.  As  long  as  our  people  believed  in  the 
existence  of  ghosts,  gods  and  devils,  they  attributed 
all  phenomena  to  their  agency  and  neglected  the  study 
of  the  natural.  Our  civilization  properly  begins  with 
the  teaching  of  a  great  and  good  man  by  name  of  Gall- 
heim,  who  declared,  as  I  hope  Myrtle's  son  will  teach, 
that  everything  is  natural,  that  human  character  is 
a  matter  of  growth  and  culture,  and  that  all  problems 
can  be  solved  by  applying  the  principles  of  mathe- 
matics. He  was  at  first  persecuted  and  ridiculed,  but 
his  power  was  so  great,  that  he  established  a  respecta- 
ble following,  who  lived  strictly  according  to  his 
teachings.  They  organized  themselves  into  a  society, 
from  which,  as  a  nucleus,  arose  a  growth  of  humanity 
which  ultimately  conquered  the  planet  and  established 
the  civilization  which  we  now  enjoy. 

"The  fundamental  doctrines  of  Gallheim  were: 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  183 

"First — That  man  is  an  aggregation  of  atoms  that 
are  all  governed  by  the  same  laws  which  govern 
the  material  universe,  and  that  his  intelligence  is  the 
result  of  growth  and  the  formation  of  his  constitution, 
the  aggregation  of  the  power  of  the  associated  atoms 
composing  his  organization  and  depending  for  its  com- 
plete manifestation  upon  the  completeness  and  com- 
plexity of  his  structure. 

"Second — That  the  character  of  any  individual  can 
be  determined  by  an  inspection  of  his  physical  con- 
stitution, and  adapted  to  its  proper  sphere  of  growth 
and  enjoyment  of  existence. 

"Third— That  by  the  study  of  the  laws  of  nature 
and  by  conforming  thereto  in  the  generation  and 
culture  of  humanity,  as  well  as  all  other  organisms, 
approximately  perfect  results  can  be  obtained. 

"Fourth — That  the  laws  of  mathematical  equity 
which  have  been  found  to  produce  harmony  in  music 
and  art,  can  be  applied  to  every  other  of  the  sixty-four 
departments  of  knowledge  and  the  spheres  of  action 
pertaining  thereto. 

"As  soon  as  these  doctrines  took  root  and  began  to 
form  the  rule  of  action  in  the  lives  of  Gallheim's 
followers,  the  following  remarkable  results  were  at- 
tained: First,  his  followers  abandoned  the  delusion 
of  future  lives,  which  had  consumed  their  energies  to 
the  neglect  of  the  present,  and  began  to  study  and 
order  their  lives  so  as  to  produce  the  greatest  amount 
of  happiness  for  themselves  and  their  associates  in  the 
present.     His  second  great  doctrine  taught  them  the 


184  LOMA, 

true  worth  of  human  character,  and  the  study  of 
themselves  from  a  scientific  standpoint  enabled  them 
to  form  a  true  conception  of  their  talents  and  how  to 
use  them,  and  their  faults  and  how  to  correct  them." 

"That  is  what  the  magnificent  discoveries  of  our 
own  Gall  and  Spurzheim  will  do  for  us  as  soon  as 
Phrenology  is  accepted,"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  with 
enthusiasm. 

"Certainly,"  resumed  Loma.  "I  told  you  a  moment 
ago  that  you  had  the  means  of  the  solution  of  the 
problem  in  your  hands  already,  and  as  soon  as  the 
science  of  Phrenology  is  developed,  in  accordance  with 
Gallheim's  first  great  doctrine,  instead  of  making  it 
subservient  to  the  old  errors  concerning  mind  and  soul, 
you  will  be  half  way  toward  the  correct  result. 

"The  great  light  shed  upon  human  character  by 
these  two  doctrines  led  to  the  enthusiastic  develop- 
ment of  the  third,  which,  as  has  also  happened  on  the 
earth,  had  already  in  a  measure  been  applied  to  the 
culture  of  animals  and  vegetation.  As  soon  as  man 
comprehend  his  weaknesses,  as  exposed  by  Gallheim's 
system  of  character  study,  which  was  essentially  the 
same  as  the  rhrenology  of  Gall  and  Spurzheim  upon 
this  planet,  he  began  to  conscientiously  cultivate  him- 
self toward  perfection.  The  result  was  that,  in  seven 
generations,  approximately  perfect  organizations  had 
been  reached,  and  during  this  transition  marriage  and 
all  other  barbarous  customs  were  abolished,  for  as 
soon  as  intelligent  culture  was  attempted,  it  was 
found   that  perfect  love  was  essential,   and  as  love 


A  CITIZKN  OF  VENTS.  185 

could  not  exist  under  compulsion  and  slavery,  mar- 
riage disappeared  and  love  was  the  universal  law. 
The  most  remarkable  result  attending  this  develop- 
ment was  the  fact,  that,  as  soon  as  liberty  was  de- 
clared and  people  became  accustomed  to  it,  the  tone 
of  public  sentiment  rose  so  high  that  those  persons 
who  attempted  to  be  selfish,  or  who  would  not  conform 
to  the  best  conditions  of  development,  were  held  in 
such  universal  detestation  that  they  immediately 
reformed,  or  else  went  out  of  the  new  society  and  asso- 
ciated with  the  barbarians,  who  were  at  last  entirely 
crowded  off  the  planet.  Because  as  the  new  society 
grew  in  numbers  and  in  the  perfection  of  its  members, 
it  rapidly  obtained  control  of  all  governments,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  population  were  gradually  educated 
to  a  comprehension  of  the  benefits,  so  that  they  were 
rapidly  absorbed.  The  new  society  began  by  limiting 
the  increase  of  population  among  themselves,  produc- 
ing only  as  many  citizens  as  were  required,  and  these 
only  of  the  best  quality.  It  followed,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  that  even  among  the  barbarians  those  who 
wanted  offspring  followed  the  teachings  of  Gallheim 
and  produced  good  citizens,  who  became  members  of 
the  new  society,  while  those  who  were  indifferent  failed 
to  reproduce,  and  thus  at  last  died  out.  The  new- 
society  gained  at  last  complete  possession  of  the  planet 
by  peaceable  means,  and  with  the  use  of  no  other 
weapon  than  its  own  superb  intelligence." 

"Admirable!"  exclaimed  Doctor  Bell. 

"But  the  crowning  glory  of  the  teachings  of  Gall- 


186  LOMA> 

heim  is  found  in  his  fourth  great  doctrine,"  resumed 
Loma,  "and  it  is  to  this  especially  that  I  wish  to  direct 
your  attention,  for  it  is  the  essential  doctrine  which 
is  necessary  to  the  completion  of  your  civilization. 
The  most  advanced  minds  among  you  are  quite  ready 
to  accept  the  others,  but  unless  the  fourth  doctrine  is 
enforced,  the  best  results  will  be  delayed  until  it  is. 
The  great  doctrine  of  mathematical  equity  is  all  that 
is  needed  to  make  men  honest  and  unselfish,  and  you 
will  agree  with  me  that  dishonesty  and  selfishness  are 
the  great  barriers  which  stand  in  the  way  of  the 
progress  of  all  reforms. 

"I  can  best  illustrate  this  doctrine  by  again  referring 
to  music,  because  you  understand  it,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  departments  of  human  knowledge  and  effort  in 
which  you  have  already  applied  the  principle  with 
superb  results.  Now,  music  has  been  reduced  to  exact 
mathematical  principles.  A  half  note  is  just  twice  as 
valuable  as  a  quarter  note,  and  pitch  is  regulated  by  a 
mathematical  position  of  the  note  upon  the  staff  which 
corresponds  exactly  with  the  position  of  the  tone  it 
represents  in  the  musical  scale.  Our  beloved  Myrtle, 
here,  being  an  accomplished  musician,  can  compose  an 
entirely  new  work,  express  it  in  musical  notation  and 
send  it  to  Germany,  where  an  equally  accomplished 
and  intelligent  person  who  has  never  heard  it  will  play 
it  exactly  as  Myrtle  has  intended  it  should  be  played. 
The  piece  may  be  rehearsed  by  an  orchestra  in  Ger- 
many, and  by  another  in  Chicago,  and  if  they  are  all 
well-trained   musicians,   the  two  orchestras  may   be 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  187 

brought  together,  and  upon  meeting,  they  will  be  able  to 
play  the  work  together  with  such  harmony  that  other 
cultivated  musicians  will  be  constrained  to  applaud. 
The  same  result  has  been  substantially  attained  wher 
ever  mathematical  equity  has  been  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  working  of  any  of  the  human  faculties,  but  it 
has  only  been  applied  to  a  few.  But  you  have  reached 
superb  results  through  these  laws  in  music,  art,  archi- 
tecture, mechanics,  engineering,  and  accounts,  and 
fragmentary  results  of  great  value  in  some  other  de- 
partments. The  application  of  precisely  the  same 
principle  will  give  you  the  same  perfection  of  results 
in  the  administration  of  every  form  of  action  of  which  a 
human  being  is  capable.  Right  here  I  wish  to  call 
your  attention  to  a  remarkable  fact.  It  is,  that  the 
comprehension  of  the  harmony  which  results  from 
the  application  of  mathematical  principles  incites  men 
to  righteousness.  The  musician  loves  to  play  correctly, 
and  in  the  case  of  the  orchestra  I  have  used  as  an 
illustration,  if  one  of  the  musicians  willfully  played 
wrong  and  destroyed  the  harmony,  he  would  be  regard- 
ed as  insane  by  his  brother  musicians.  Such  conduct 
docs  not  occur  among  refined  musicians,  because  they 
are  trained  by  the  application  of  these  laws  and  con- 
strained by  ambition  and  love  of  applause  to  do  exact 
justice.  As  soon  as  these  laws  are  understood  and 
applied  in  other  departments  of  human  effort,  wrong 
conduct  disappears.  You  can  hardly  con ceive  of  a  tirst- 
class  artist  daubing  a  beautiful  picture,  or  of  an  accom- 
plished architect  willfully  destroying  the  strength  of  a 


188  LOMA. 

building,  or  of  an  expert  accountant  falsifying  an 
account,  unless  some  element  is  introduced  which  will 
make  it  appear  profitable.  Now,  when  all  the  human 
faculties  are  educated  on  this  principle  it  becomes 
impossible  to  commit  an  unrighteous  action  without 
outraging  some  sense  which  is  thoroughly  well  trained, 
and  hence  a  complete  equilibrium  is  established  and 
maintained.  When  you  understand  that  there  are  only 
sixty-four  faculties  to  educate,  if  you  will  consider  the 
amount  of  effort  it  takes  to  train  the  single  faculty  of 
time  to  correct  action,  and  multiply  that  by  sixty-four, 
you  will  have  a  conception  of  the  effort  it  takes  to 
educate  a  child  in  Venus  to  a  complete  use  of  all  his 
abilities,  which  leads  to  the  establishment  of  a  basis 
for  absolutely  correct  moral  conduct  in  every  depart 
ment  of  life.  In  subsequent  lessons  I  will  give  you  a 
further  insight  into  the  operation  of  these  doctrines 
as  they  were  developed  on  our  planet  and  as  they  are 
now  responsible  for  the  measure  of  happiness  we  enjoy. 
But  the  knowledge  of  this  principle,  and  its  application 
in  the  present  instance,  admonishes  me  that  my  be- 
loved pupil  has  received  as  much  instruction  to-day  as 
justice  will  permit.  Let  us  adjourn  to  the  music  room 
and  rest  the  faculties  we  have  been  using,  by  the  em- 
ployment of  others  no  less  enjoyable." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


THE  LABOK   PROBLEM. 

'Threnology!    The  word  is  like  a  charm. 
To  cure  the  ills  of  life.    An  omen  sun- 
To  cheer  the  toiling  masses  on  their  way 
To  higher  aims  and  brighter  hopes  withal. 
When  Love  shall  tear  aside  the  blackened  pall 
Of  misery  and  let  the  daylight  shine 
Upon  the  birth  of  Justice  and  of  Truth. 
When  Reason  shall  prevail  and  men  shall  bow 
Before  the  shrine  of  Wisdom,  learning  there 
The  lessons  sweet  of  beauty  and  of  health." 

''The  first  sweeping  revolution  which  was  accom- 
plished by  the  adoption  of  Gallheim's  teachings  was 
the  effect  it  produced  upon  the  labor  problem,"  said 
Loma,  as  he  began  his  next  lesson,  on  the  day  follow- 
ing. "Previous  to  the  advent  of  this  great  philosopher 
upon  our  planet,  we  were  in  exactly  the  same  dilemma, 
as  to  the  disposition  of  human  labor  and  the  accumula- 
tion of  wealth,  that  now  besets  your  society.  The 
increase  in  the  productive  power  of  machinery,  the 
great  advance  which  had  been  made  in  the  arts  and 
sciences,  and  the  development  of  new  territory,  pro- 
duced the  same  conditions  upon  Venus  that  you  have 
experienced  here.  Enormous  fortunes  were  made  and 
enjoyed  by  the  few  who  possessed  financial  skill,  while 
those  who  were  not  organized  upon  that  pattern  went 
hungry,  as  they  do  here.     The  great   majority  of  men 

(189.) 


190  LOMA, 

and  women  were  slaves  to  those  who  possessed  wealth, 
and  the  aristocracy  were  the  only  people  who  enjoyed 
even  a  small  measure  of  the  conditions  of  correct 
growth.  Even  they  did  not  receive  the  benefits  which 
were  possible  to  them,  for  selfishness  and  ignorance 
are  always  the  greatest  enemies  to  happiness,  and  the 
rich  suffered,  in  common  with  the  poor,  from  the  results 
of  a  pernicious  industrial  system,  which  condemned  the 
great  majority  of  mankind  to  enslavement  and  to  the 
performance  of  unnecessary  toil,  with  the  consequent 
loss  of  development,  while  the  rich,  by  reason  of  being 
relieved  from  toil  altogether,  failed  to  obtain  the  devel- 
opment which  comes  from  a  correct  amount  of  whole- 
some labor.  We  had  precisely  the  same  conditions 
upon  Venus  which  now  confront  you,  and  while,  on  the 
one  hand,  large  numbers  of  our  citizens  were  impover- 
ished, for  lack  of  wealth,  and  thousands  starved  in  the 
sight  of  plenty,  another  class  of  idlers  was  created 
who  died  miserably  for  want  of  enterprising  occupation. 
"Grallheim's  followers  began  by  organizing  their 
society  on  the  basis  of  exclusive  association,  as  far  as 
it  was  possible.  They  kept  their  wealth  within  their 
own  society  by  producing  everything  they  needed  and 
patronizing  their  own  institutions  exclusively.  The}r 
early  advocated  the  abolition  of  marriage,  but  as  public 
opinion  was  very  strong  in  favor  of  the  ancient  and 
venerable  mistake,  they  did  not  antagonize  the  bar- 
barians by  whom  they  were  surrounded  by  disobeying 
the  laws,  however  erroneous  they  considered  them,  but 
they  secured  their  end  by  marrying  among  themselves. 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  191 

When  they  bad  been  organized  fifty  years,  they  bad 
produced  such  an  improvement  in  human  development, 
that  they  began  to  attract  universal  attention  by  their 
superior  beauty,  and  it  was  impossible  to  find  a  fol- 
lower of  Gallheim  who  would  consider  the  proposition  of 
associating  in  marriage  with  a  barbarian.  So  thor- 
oughly did  they  practice  the  doctrines  of  their  dis- 
tinguished founder,  that  their  marriages  were  almost 
universally  agreeable,  and  as  we  had  liberal  divorce 
laws  at  that  time,  even  among  the  barbarians,  when 
any  marriage  was  found  to  be  unhappy  for  any  reason, 
it  was  quickly  dissolved,  and  that  without  scandal. 
One  of  the  curious  facts  about  the  early  followers  of 
Gallheim  was  the  reform  they  introduced  into  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  itself.  Wo  had,  up  to  that  time,  the 
same  absurd  implications  in  the  ceremony  that  you 
have  here.  The  woman  promised  to  love,  honor,  and 
obey  her  husband;  the  man  promised  to  love,  honor, 
and  cherish  his  wife.  Gallheim  himself  called  atten- 
tion to  the  absurdity  of  these  promises,  and  showed  so 
clearly  that  they  were  void  on  their  face,  that  they 
became  ridiculous  even  in  the  eyes  of  the  most  con- 
servative barbarians.  He  argued  that  love  and  honor 
were  consequences  that  flowed  from  lovable  and  honor- 
able conduct,  and  could  not  be  pledged  in  advance 
without  the  stultification  of  the  party  making  the 
pledge.  This  was  so  clearly  evident,  that  a  reform  in 
the  ceremony  followed  at  once,  and  thereafter  the  par- 
ties promised  to  be  lovable  and  honorable  themselves, 
instead  of  requiring  a  pledge  of  love  and  honor  i<»  be 


192  LOMA, 

rendered,  regardless  of  the  conduct  of  the  other  party. 
The  result  was,  as  might  have  been  expected,  that  as 
soon  as  loving  and  honorable  conduct  became  the  rule 
and  not  the  exception,  the  pledge  itself  fell  into  disuse, 
because  it  was  so  universally  understood  as  implied. 

"As  soon  as  love  and  justice  began  to  be  developed, 
through  these  influences,  a  better  conception  of  human 
rights  and  privileges  began  to  obtain.  The  followers 
of  Gallheim  had  in  the  meantime  become  immensely 
wealthy.  But  as  they  were  committed  to  the  doctrines 
of  their  great  founder,  as  soon  as  they  began  to  accumu- 
late a  surplus  of  wealth  they  applied  the  doctrine  of 
mathematical  equity  to  its  use.  The  members  of  the 
society  who  were  gifted  with  financial  skill  realized  that 
they  could  not  accumulate  vast  riches  and  allow  their 
brethren  to  starve,  without  sacrificing  the  benefits  of 
the  third  great  doctrine  of  their  order.  It  became 
necessary  for  them,  in  order  to  improve  themselves  to 
the  highest  degree,  to  practice  the  most  exalted  forms 
of  benevolence  and  justice.  The  ambition  which  the 
members  of  this  remarkable  society  possessed,  to  im- 
prove the  society,  itself,  so  that  it  would  be  able  to 
fulfill  its  exalted  mission  of  the  subjugation  of  the 
planet  to  their  high  ideal  of  civilization,  caused  them 
to  use  their  wealth  to  the  fullest  extent  in  improving 
every  member  in  the  order.  Thus,  in  a  short  time, 
those  who  possessed  great  financial  skill  came  to  be 
considered  merely  as  the  stewards  of  the  order,  and 
their  social  standing  was  made  to  depend  on  the  ability 
and  fidelity  with  which  they  discharged  this  obligation. 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  103 

When  a  member  was  round  who  did  not  possess  the 
ability  to  gather  riches,  ho  was  in  a  large  measure 
relieved  from  financial  responsibility,  and  was  only 
required  to  perform  such  work  in  thai  direction  as 
would  tend  to  develop  him,  if  lie  was  a  young  man.  If 
he  was  advanced  in  years,  he  was  relieved  altogether 
from  any  kind  of  labor  which  he  was  likely  to  fail  in 
performing,  and  was  permitted  to  expend  all  his  ener- 
gies where  he  had  talent.  This  was  one  of  the  secrets 
of  the  great  success  of  the  movement  and  the  remark- 
able power  which  (hey  developed.  It  was  largely  due 
to  the  recognition  of  Grallheim's  code,  and  especially 
to  his  method  of  character  study,  which  enabled  them 
to  measure  the  capacity  of  an  individual  with  accuracy, 
and  to  assign  him  to  his  proper  vocation  in  advance. 

"The  new  society  continued  to  grow  in  wealth,  num- 
bers and  popularity,  until,  some  thirty  years  before 
(lallheim's  death,  they  numbered  about  three  million. 
We  had  at  that  time  upon  Venus  nearly  the  same 
political  conditions  you  have  here,  and  strange  to  say. 
there  was  a  nation  which  was  in  all  respects  analogous 
to  the  United  States  of  America,  in  which  (Jallheiin's 
work  had  originated.  His  followers,  acting  under 
his  advice,  settled  in  such  numbers  in  one  of  these 
states,  which  was  in  size,  productiveness  and  natural 
situation  very  much  like  the  State  of  Illinois,  that  they 
were  able  to  buy  all  of  the  real  estate  in  the  state,  and 
establish  such  laws  and  customs  as  they  desired.  From 
that  time  all  obstacles  to  the  new  civilization  seem  to 
have  disappeared,  and  its  progress  was  as  rapid  as 

13 


194  LOMA. 

the  growth  of  humanity  itself.  Within  one  hundred 
years,  from  the  time  of  the  organization  of  their  first 
state,  they  were  in  possession  of  all  the  desirable  por- 
tions of  the  globe,  and  the  barbarians  were  eagerly 
submitting  to  their  laws  and  customs  and  becoming 
absorbed  into  the  new  society. 

"As  soon  as  the  great  principles  of  Gallheim's  code 
were  understood,  humanity  realized  that  the  end  and 
purpose  of  existence  is  enjoyment.  In  the  study  and 
application  of  the  third  great  principle  embraced  in 
the  code,  it  was  found  that  those  persons  who  enjoyed 
life  most  produced  the  most  desirable  and  perfect 
offspring.  Another  great  fact  was,  that  those  persons 
who  experienced  the  greatest  amount  of  pleasure  in 
the  sexual  act,  itself,  produced  the  strongest  and  most 
perfect  offspring.  The  enjoyment  of  existence  then 
became  the  most  enthusiastic  study  of  the  populace. 
Here  again  the  majestic  character  of  Gallheim  dis- 
played itself.  He  impressed  upon  his  followers  that 
the  development  of  pleasure  would  come,  not  from  dis- 
sipation and  the  indulgence  of  desire  but  in  cultivating 
perfect  self-control,  and  in  displaying  the  most  perfect 
harmony  in  the  use  and  development  of  the  mental 
faculties.  In  a  word,  the  effect  of  his  teaching  was, 
that  every  member  of  his  society  strove  to  the  utmost 
to  secure  as  quickly  as  possible  that  development  of 
the  sixty-four  organs  of  the  brain,  the  action  of  the 
sixty-four  corresponding  faculties,  and  such  education 
in  the  sixty-four  departments  of  human  knowledge  as 
would  enable  them  to  order  their  conduct  with  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  I95 

same  degree  of  righteousness  that  had  already  been 
obtained  in  music.  The  results  wercmarvelous.  Gall- 
heim  lived  to  realize  the  complete  success  of  his  phi- 
losophy, and  died  at  the  close  of  his  long  and  illustrious 
career,  Mossed,  honored  and  revered  by  every  inhab- 
itant of  the  globe  he  had  so  thoroughly  reformed." 

"And  do  you  consider  h  possible,  that  my  son  may 
be  able  to  make  an  impression  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  this  earth,  similar  to  that  which  Gallheim  made 
upon  the  people  of  Venus?"  exclaimed  Myrtle,  as  Loma 
paused  at  this  point  in  his  narrative.  ■ 

"Certainly,"  responded  Loma.  "Unless  he  does,  I  shall 
be  completely  disappointed,  and  shall  be  compelled  to 
consider  my  mission  a  failure.  But  there  is  no  fear  of 
such  a  result.  The  principles  I  have  announced  to 
you,  as  constituting  the  code  of  Gallheim,  are  very 
simple,  and  you  have  comprehended  them  yourself 
sufficiently  well  to  begin  their  inculcation  to-morrow. 
But  when  they  are  presented  by  your  son,  with  all  the 
force  and  magnetism  with  which  he  will  be  endowed, 
by  reason  of  the  pains  we  are  taking  to  make  him  a 
complete  specimen  of  manhood,  there  can  be  but  one 
result." 

"Oh,  this  is  perfectly  glorious!"  exclaimed  Myrtle, 
while  Mrs.  Bell  encircled  her  waist  with  her  arm  and 
held  her  in  a  warm  embrace  of  sympathy,  while  Loma 
continued  liis  narrative: 

"As  soon  as  the  conduct  of  the  new  society  became 
regulated  by  the  principles  nnd  teachings  of  Gallheim, 
and  men  became  accustomed  to  living  for  enjoyment, 


196  LOMA, 

instead  of  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  some  very  extraor- 
dinary changes  occurred.  The  study  and  practice  of 
the  third  article  of  his  code  soon  developed  the  fact 
that  the  greater  portion  of  the  labor  which  had  been 
performed  up  to  that  time  had  been  worse  than  useless. 
For  as  soon  as  it  became  known  that  great  happiness 
could  be  attained  by  studying  and  conforming  to  the 
laws  of  nature,  a  great  deal  Of  energy  was  expended 
in  that  direction,  and,  of  course,  the  laws  of  health 
and  correct  living  soon  became  established  in  the 
intelligence  of  the  people  by  the  results  of  the  experi- 
ments that  were  made.  Of  course,  it  was  soon  estab- 
lished what  articles  of  food  were  desirable  and  what 
were  injurious.  All  injurious  articles  of  food  were 
at  once  discontinued  and  their  manufacture  ceased. 
You  would  be  astonished,  if  3-ou  knew  what  an  effect 
would  be  produced  on  your  own  market,  if  the  knowl- 
edge which  we  have  in  Venus  could  be  enforced  in  this 
direction  alone.  Over  half  the  stock  of  your  provision 
depots  would  be  condemned,  and,  of  course,  the  people 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  these  articles 
would  be  liberated,  or,  as  you  would  express  it,  'thrown 
out  of  employment.'  You  will  not  be  astonished  to 
know  that  all  such  articles  as  alcoholic  liquors,  tobacco, 
opium,  and  other  purely  injurious  articles,  went  by  the 
board  in  the  early  stages  of  the  development  of  this 
new  civilization.  Only  such  quantities  as  were  needed 
for  purely  chemical  and  medicinal  uses  were  tolerated, 
and  these  were  soon  greatly  reduced  by  the  excellent 
health  of  the  inhabitants  under  the  new  order  of  things. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  197 

When  you  consider  that  in  the  United  States  von  spend 
more  money  for  these  injurious  articles  than  you  do  for 
food,  you  will  understand  how  many  people  were  re- 
leased by  this  change.  The  next  advance  occurred  with 
the  development  of  the  fact  that  every  one  had  been  con- 
suming too  much  food,  and  food  of  poor  quality,  and 
the  reduction  of  the  quantity  to  just  that  amount 
which  was  required  by  the  individual,  and  the  pro- 
duction of  only  the  purest  and  best  foods,  released  an- 
other large  contingent.  With  the  abandonment  of  the 
habitual  use  of  clothing,  and  the  discontinuing  of 
harmful  and  useless  forms  of  dress,  another  great  bur- 
den was  lifted  from  the  shoulders  of  toiling  humanity. 
"The  improvement  in  the  growth  of  humanity,  itself, 
and  the  development  of  the  sense  of  justice,  abolished 
crime  and  contention  among  the  members  of  the  new 
society,  and  a  vast  army  of  lawyers,  judges,  policemen 
and  officeholders  were  relieved  from  their  wearisome 
duties.  The  change  in  the  system  of  the  administra- 
tion of  wealth  made  insurance  unnecessary;  banking, 
speculation,  and  all  forms  of  gambling  were  discontin- 
ued, and  the  offices  occupied  for  such  purposes  were 
closed,  and  their  owners,  with  their  legions  of  over- 
worked clerks,  typewriters  and  cashiers,  walked  out 
into  the  sunshine  of  liberty.  The  decrease  in  the  de- 
mand for  commercial  commodities,  and  the  destruction 
of  the  competitive  system  of  the  accumulation  of 
wealth,  liberated  the  merchants  and  their  hordes  of 
employes  and  those  who  were  connected  with  them. 
hi  short,  the  introduction  of  the  new  system  destroyed 


198  LOMA, 

the  necessity  for  nine-tenths  of  the  distressing  labor 
under  which  humanity  had  groaned  for  centuries." 

"And  this  grand  result  was  accomplished  by  the 
recognition  of  the  single  fact,  declared  to  the  inhab- 
itants of  this  earth  centuries  ago,  but  never  under- 
stood, that  wisdom  is  better  than  gold,"  exclaimed 
Doctor  Bell. 

"That  is  very  true,"  said  Loma;  "but  humanity,  en- 
slaved under  the  conditions  which  then  existed,  was 
unable  to  comprehend  the  utterance,  much  less  put 
it  »into  practice.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  philoso- 
pher who  uttered  it  had  the  faintest  conception  of 
what  it  implied.  Our  humanity  had  to  go  through  the 
same  conditions  of  growth,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
reach  perfection  in  any  other  way." 

"It  is  not  quite  clear  to  me,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  "how 
such  a  large  number  of  persons  were  organized  into 
correct  methods  and  habits,  without  the  demoraliza- 
tion which  must  surely  arise  from  idleness.  Will  you 
please  explain." 

"It  was  a  matter  of  gradual,  though  very  rapid 
growth.  You  must  understand,  that  this  movement 
began  with  a  small  collection  of  persons  who  were 
under  the  direct  tuition  of  the  great  Gallheim,  and  who 
were  by  him  instructed  in  the  full  meaning  of  his  code. 
They  increased  very  rapidly,  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to 
demonstrate  the  results  of  his  system,  for  we  had  then 
on  our  planet,  as  you  have  here,  a  large  number  of 
very  advanced  and  intelligent  persons  who  were  seek- 
ing earnestly  for  a  better  method  of  living.     As  soon 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  199 

as  tlrey  solved  the  money  problem — and  the  solution,  as 
you  have  seen,  consisted  simply  in  having  the  com- 
monwealth administered  by  those  members  who  were 
best  endowed  with  financial  sense,  and  holding  them  to 
the  application  of  the  rule  of  mathematical  equity, 
which  they  dared  not  violate,  because  they  would  not 
only  outrage  their  own  consciences,  but  would  lose  the 
inestimable  benefits  of  the  society  by  being  cast  out 
among  the  barbarians, — then  everything  else  became 
comparatively  easy.  As  fast  as  new  members  were 
received,  they  were  kept  busy,  first  in  learning  the 
principles  of  development,  and  secondly  in  doing  what- 
ever work  was  necessary  to  be  done,  while  the  older 
members  of  the  order  were  granted  complete  immunity 
from  labor,  except  when  their  services  were  required 
as  teachers.  During  the  first  two  generations,  the 
teachers  had  plenty  of  employment,  and  there  was  so 
much  to  be  done  in  clearing  away  the  evils  of  the  old 
system,  and  in  devising  and  putting  into  operation 
the  improvements  which  were  made,  that  there  was 
plenty  of  employment  for  every  one  within  the  limits 
of  the  hours  which  Gallheim  had  established  as  the 
maximum  amount  of  labor  which  should  be  required  of 
every  member  of  society.  But  as  a  large  amount  of 
unnecessary  labor  had  been  abolished  by  the  new 
system,  so,  also,  a  large  increase  was  the  immediate 
result  in  those  departments  of  labor  which  minister 
directly  to  human  enjoymenl  and  improvement.  There 
was  a  tremendous  demand  for  teachers  and  workers 
in  every  department   of  literary  labor.     The  sense  of 


200  LOMA, 

justice  and  discrimination  having  been  highly  devel- 
oped, there  was  an  overwhelming  sentiment  in  favor  of 
good  literature,  and  everything  which  was  vicious, 
obscene  and  demoralizing  was  soon  condemned.  The 
universal  demand  was  for  that  which  would  elevate, 
refine  and  purify  society  and  enable  the  members  to 
reach,  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  the  highest  culture 
of  every  faculty.  Brilliant  authors  and  writers,  lectur- 
ers, artists  and  musicians,  had  only  to  demonstrate 
their  abilities,  and  they  were  at  once  lionized  in  so- 
ciety. The  architect  who  could  improve  a  building, 
the  engineer  who  established  a  swifter  or  a  safer  mode 
of  transportation  for  the  myriads  of  emancipated  men 
and  women,  who  were  for  the  first  time  enabled  to 
enjoy  the  delights  of  travel,  the  actor  who  could  pre- 
sent a  realistic  portrayal  of  that  which  was  good  or 
beautiful,  in  fact,  any  one  who  could  add  to  the  sum 
total  of  human  happiness,  was  hailed  as  a  benefactor, 
and  accorded  the  praise  and  social  position  which  he 
merited.  It  was  no  longer  a  question  of  money  or  of 
the  ability  to  make  money.  The  test  of  a  man's  popu- 
larity was  simply  the  voice  of  the  people,  testifying  to 
the  benefits  he  conferred  upon  them.  The  effect  of  all 
this  upon  the  energies  and  ambitions  of  the  people 
was  simply  incredible.  Some  of  the  critics  of  Gallheim 
had  urged  that  the  adoption  of  his  system  would  de- 
stroy progress  and  annihilate  the  energy  and  ambition 
of  the  people.  These  men  were  probably  honest  in 
their  belief,  for  they  could  not  comprehend  the  exist- 
ence of  energy  without  the  commercial  stimulus.     The 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  201 

truth  of  the  matter  was,  however,  that  under  the  old 
system  no  one  was  energetic,  except  those  who  were 
gifted  with  the  acquisitive  sense,  or  who  were  stung 
into  action  by  the  privations  of  poverty.  The  first  class 
were  the  only  ones  who  succeeded.  The  second  class 
made  spasmodic  efforts,  but  usually  sank  into  the 
apathy  of  disappointment,  after  a  number  of  failures, 
and  it  was  only  after  the  new  system  was  adopted,  that 
the  political  economists  realized  what  a  vast  amount 
of  energy  had  been  paralyzed  by  the  evils  of  the  old. 

"Under  the  new  system,  instead  of  having  a  half 
dozen  incentives  to  human  activity,  we  now  have  sixty- 
four.  As  matters  now  stand  in  this  world,  the  great 
majority  of  your  citizens  have  no  conception  of  business 
except  as  a  means  to  accumulate  money.  Ask  the 
first  one  hundred  men  you  may  meet  in  Chicago,  what 
they  would  do  if  they  had  a  million  dollars,  and  the 
majority  of  them  will  answer,  'I  would  retire  from  busi- 
ness and  have  a  good  time.'  By  a  good  time,  they 
mean  the  indulgence  of  every  form  of  human  selfish- 
ness. This  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  nearly  every  man 
who  does  accumulate  enough  money  to  do  some  good 
in  the  world  fails  to  employ  it  for  any  purpose  except 
the  gratification  of  his  own  selfish  desires.  If  your 
average  citizen  of  wealth,  say  those  who  possess  from 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  up,  could  be  translated 
to  Venus  to-day,  and  be  endowed  with  the  same  power 
that  they  have  here  for  the  amelioration  of  human 
misery,  and  they  lived  as  they  do  here,  they  would  be 
held  iu  universal  execration  and  contempt.     Under  the 


202  LOMA, 

development  of  the  entire  list  of  faculties,  as  we  are 
now  educated  in  Venus,  there  is  constant  employment 
in  the  practice  of  good  actions,  and  as  it  is  one  of  the 
laws  of  health  and  development  that  a  man  must 
exercise  every  faculty  in  some  degree,  every  day,  you 
can  readily  see  that  life  in  Venus  is  not  idleness,  but 
a  continual  round  of  healthful,  enjoyable  and  life- 
developing  duties. 

"One  of  the  remarkable  principles  which  Gallheim 
inculcated  under  the  application  of  the  fourth  article 
of  his  code  was  the  limitation  of  population.  In  Venus, 
you  will  understand,  the  principle  of  mathematical 
equity  is  applied  to  everything.  Accordingly,  as  the 
members  of  the  new  society  possessed  themselves  of 
those  portions  of  the  globe  which  were  desirable  places 
of  residence,  the  exact  number  of  inhabitants  which 
each  territory  would  sustain  under  the  very  best  condi- 
tions of  growth  was  carefully  calculated,  and  the  popu- 
lation was  limited  to  that  number.  In  applying  this 
principle,  Gallheim  enforced  upon  humanity  the  same 
degree  of  forethought  which  an  intelligent  husband- 
man exercises  in  regard  to  his  crops.  He  has  learned 
by  experience  that  in  the  successful  growth  of  corn, 
for  instance,  the  hills  must  be  just  so  many  feet  apart, 
and  there  must  not  be  more  than  a  certain  number  of 
stalks  within  a.  certain  territory.  If  he  violates  this 
law  of  mathematical  equity,  his  crop  suffers  in  propor- 
tion to  the  extent  of  the  violation.  This  law  was 
vigorously  enforced  by  Gallheim's  followers,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  their  offspring  were  uniformly  vigorous, 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  OQ3 

and  as  the  barbarians  were  gradually  crowded  upon  the 
most  undesirable  and  least  fertile  portions  of  the  globe, 
and  as  they  paid  no  attention  to  the  great  laws  of 
reproduction,  they  very  soon  died  out.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  study  of  human  improvement,  under  the 
stimulus  imparted  to  it  by  Gallheim's  code,  soon  en- 
abled his  followers  to  establish  a  complete  code  of 
sexual  ethics,  under  which  it  became  possible  for  them 
to  not  only  regulate  the  number  of  offspring  but  to 
determine  the  sex  at  will,  and  to  endow  them  with 
whatever  talents  were  most  needed  by  the  society,  and 
to  insure  their  health  and  personal  beauty.  This 
threw  the  phjsicians  out  of  employment,  and  most  of 
them  became  teachers  or  devoted  themselves  to  the 
development  of  special  branches  of  scientific  study. 

"In  future  lessons  I  will  tell  you  all  about  the  system 
of  education  as  it  is  practiced  in  Venus,  and  also 
explain,  at  length,  how  the  domestic  relations  have 
been  brought  to  their  present  strge  of  perfection." 


CHAPTER   XV. 


THE  NEW   EDUCATION. 

"It  is  a  long  way  from  tho  charcoal  to  the  diamond,  but 
every  element  that  is  in  the  diamond  is  also  in  the  charcoal. 
It  is  a  long  way  from  average  humanity  to  Jesus,  but  the 
virtues  and  graces  which  shine  with  such  resplendent  luster 
in  Him  lie  hidden  and  undeveloped  in  us. 

"What  do  these  facts  indicate?  Not  that  we  are  ruined, 
but  that  we  are  incomplete." 

When  the  four  Mends  assembled  in  the  conserva- 
tory, for  the  next  session  of  instruction  from  Loma, 
Mrs.  Bell  began  the  conversation  by  saying: 

"Whenever  these  reforms  have  been  discussed  among 
advanced  thinkers  on  this  earth,  we  have  always  been 
met  by  the  following  questions:  'If  marriage  is  abol- 
ished in  society,  what  will  prevent  the  race  from 
relaxing  into  complete  licentiousness?  How  will  the 
sexual  relations  be  regulated?  How  will  a  father  be 
able  to  recognize  his  own  child?  What  will  become 
of  the  children?  What  will  become  of  parental  respon- 
sibility? Who  will  take  any  interest  in  education?' 
These,  and  a  thousand  similar  questions,  are  pro- 
pounded to  the  advocates  of  reform,  and  T  must  con- 
fess that,  so  far,  they  have  never  been  satisfactorily 
answered." 

(205) 


20fi  -LOMA, 

"They  cannot  be  satisfactorily  answered  until  the 
code  of  Gallhehn  is  adopted  and  practiced  in  its  entire- 
ty. As  long  as  humanity  is  dominated  by  selfish  mo- 
tives, slavery  must  exist  in  some  form.  Some  years 
ago,  in  the  United  States,  you  practiced  four  leading 
forms  of  slavery.  You  now  have  three  conspicuous 
forms  remaining.  You  have  abolished  in  a  degree,  and 
wholly  as  a  matter  of  law,  the  slavery  of  the  African 
to  the  Caucasian,  but  you  still  enforce  the  slavery  of 
of  the  poor  to  the  rich,  the  slavery  of  woman  to  man, 
and  the  slavery  of  children  to  their  parents.  You  have 
yet  to  learn  that  each  of  these  classes  have  rights 
which  those  who  rule  over  them  are  bound  to  respect. 
I  might  also  speak  of  the  slavery  of  animals  to  man, 
but  that  subject  properly  belongs  to  another  discus- 
sion. I  think  I  can  best  answer  all  of  your  questions 
by  tracing  the  operation  of  the  code  of  Gallheim  at 
the  present  time  upon  our  planet,  and  showing  you 
how  it  affects  the  life  of  an  individual  from  the  time 
the  germ  of  his  life  originates  in  the  loins  of  his 
father,  to  the  time  that  he  reposes  in  the  everlast- 
ing arms  of  the  universal  mother,  Space,  when  his 
organization  is  dissolved  in  what  you  call  death. 

"To  understand  the  working  of  society  on  Venus,  you 
must  understand  that  every  man  and  woman  is  com- 
pletely educated.  You  will  also  understand,  that,  by 
reason  of  the  perfect  application  of  the  third  article 
of  Gallheim's  code,  we  have  an  almost  universally 
perfect  humanity.  By  this  I  mean  that  every  one  of 
our  citizens  is  brought  into  the  world  with  a  complete 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  207 

brain  and  body,  and  while  we  have  diversity  of  char- 
acter and  different  types  of  humanity,  yet  we  have 
completely  eliminated  idiocy,  insanity,  deformity,  and 
all  other  unfortunate  congenital  conditions  which  arise 
from  ignorance  and  disease.  Occasionally,  though 
very  rarely,  some  accident  occurs  to  a  pregnant  woman, 
or  to  a  young  child,  by  which  a  cripple  is  produced, 
but  this  is  so  rare  that  such  persons  are  regarded  as 
great  curiosities  when  seen.  They  are  tenderly  cared 
for  according  to  the  degree  of  their  misfortune,  and 
secure  as  much  happiness  as  it  is  possible  for  them  to 
appreciate  and  enjoy.  Now,  if  you  will  conceive  of  a 
society  organized  with  such  individuals  composing  it, 
and  that  all  are  equally  free  and  independent,  and  that 
they  are  not  hampered  with  the  consideration  of  accu- 
mulating wealth,  but  are  all  living  for  the  greatest 
possible  enjoyment,  and  all  actuated  by  the  sincerest 
desire  to  promote  the  happiness  of  all  that  surround 
them,  and  particularly  anxious  to  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  posterity,  and  to  leave  a  progeny  which  will  be 
a  credit  to  the  last  generation,  you  may  comprehend 
what  follows. 

"There  are  always  a  large  number  of  persons  who  do 
not  wish  to  become  parents.  They  are  absorbed  in 
other  pursuits,  and  are  persuaded  that  they  can  render 
the  state  a  better  service  by  not  attempting  to  produce 
offspring.  There  are  others  who  find  in  parentage  the 
exercise  of  the  highest  privilege,  and  when  a  young 
man  or  woman  decides  to  adopt  that  mode  of  life,  they 
are  enrolled  in  that  class,  after  being  carefully  exam- 


208  LOMA. 

ined  to  see  that  they  possess  the  highest  degree  of 
physical  and  mental  perfection,  and  are  accorded  the 
special  privileges  of  the  parental  division.  This  ex- 
empts them  from  compulsory  labor  and  leaves  them 
free  to  devote  their  whole  time  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
talents  they  desire  to  impress  upon  their  offspring. 
The  relation  of  sexual  intercourse  is  established  accord- 
ing to  a  system  which  I  will  describe  in  due  season.  I 
wish  you,  at  this  point,  to  simply  realize  that  the  con- 
ception takes  place  when  both  parents  are  in  the 
highest  possible  state  of  perfection,  and  that  the  act  is 
performed  under  such  conditions  as  will  insure  the 
greatest  possible  gratification  to  both  parents,  which, 
as  I  have  before  intimated,  has  a.  corresponding  effect 
of  producing  the  greatest  possible  perfection  in  the 
offspring. 

"When  the  female  has  conceived,  she  is  at  once  made 
the  recipient  of  special  attention  and  honor,  and  the 
father  of  her  child  attends  her  through  the  whole 
period  of  her  pregnancy,  giving  her  the  felicity  of  his 
society,  and  jealously  guarding  her  from  every  possible 
accident  or  untoward  circumstance  which  may  possibly 
mar  the  perfect  effect,  which  he  is,  of  course,  desirous 
of  producing.  He  gives  her  at  all  times  the  warmest 
proofs  of  his  affection,  and  any  neglect  at  this  time,  or 
harsh  conduct  on  his  part,  would  forever  disgrace  him 
in  the  eyes  of  society,  and  possibly  prevent  his  ever 
being  selected  for  a  similar  office.  In  short,  every 
pregnant  female  in  Venus  is  surrounded  constantly  by 
the  same  conditions  which  we  have  been  so  careful  to 


a  CITIZEN  OF  v i:\rs.  209 

provide  for  the  benefil  of  our  beloved  Myrtle,  only  on 
our  plane1!  the  conditions  are  rendered  more  favorable 
by  the  fact  that  there  are  more1  persona  who  have  a 
perfect  understanding  of  the  subject.  We  believe, 
however,  that  more1  education  can  be  accomplished  dur- 
ing the  nine  months  of  pregnancy  by  correct  maternal 
impressions  than  can  be  reached  in  nine  years  of  effort 
after  birth  where  these  important  influences  have  been 
disregarded.  Consequently,  you  will  understand,  that 
the  citizen  of  Venus  comes  into  his  world  with  the 
first  right  of  every  citizen  fully  guaranteed  to  him, — 
the  right  to  be  thoroughly  and  completely  created. 

"In  the  meantime,  the  life  of  the  mother  has  been 
so  natural,  and  her  diet  and  exercise  has  been  so  well 
regulated,  that  parturition  takes  place  without  pain, 
and  the  birth  of  a  child  is  an  event  of  great  rejoicing 
and  congratulation  to  the  parents,  who  are  invested 
with  further  honors  with  pleasing  ceremonies.  The 
father  is  now  relieved  from  further  duty  toward  his 
offspring  and  the  mother,  but  the  attachment  is  usually 
so  strong  that  he  devotes  much  of  his  time  to  her  enter- 
tainment, and,  as  I  will  explain  later,  these  attach- 
ments are  usually  of  life-long  duration,  and  greatly 
more  felicitous  than  the  most  happy  marriages  you 
have  on  this  planet. 

"From  the  conception  of  the  child  until  it  is  weaned 

the  mother  is  an  inmate  of  the  palace  of  maternity, 

an  institution  especially  maintained  by  the  state  for  the 

entertainment  of  pregnant  and  nursing  mothers.     Here 

every  condition  is  maintained  which  will  conduce  to  her 
14 


210  LOMA, 

happiness  and  the  perfection  of  her  offspring,  and  dur- 
ing the  nursing  period  her  food  is  specially  prepared 
to  give  her  strength  and  to  harden  the  bones  and 
increase  the  growth  of  her  child.  When  the  child  is 
weaned  her  responsibility  ceases,  and  the  further  care 
and  education  of  the  young  citizen  is  assumed  by  the 
national  educators.  These  are  persons  who  have  been 
selected  by  the  state  with  reference  to  their  especial 
fitness  for  the  purpose,  according  to  the  superb  system 
of  character  study  introduced  by  Gallheim,  and  are 
those  who  are  known  to  be  most  highly  endowed  with 
patience  and  love  for  the  work  of  instruction.  They 
assume  the  education  of  the  child,  and  from  the  time 
it  is  weaned  until  it  graduates  from  the  highest  educa- 
tional institution  on  the  planet,  it  remains  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  various  departments  of  education. 
Thus  one  department  superintends  the  awakening  of 
the  faculties  during  the  first  year,  another  continues 
the  process  the  second  year,  and  as  the  child  grows, 
he  passes  through  all  of  the  departments,  on  the  same 
principle  that  you  have  in  your  graded  schools,  but  in 
Venus  we  never  sacrifice  the  first  and  most  important 
years  to  the  methods  of  incompetent  mothers.  On  the 
contrary,  as  the  state  recognizes  its  most  important 
duty  to  be  the  protection  of  its  youngest  and  most 
helpless  citizens,  it  provides  that  during  each  succes- 
sive year  of  growth  the  citizen  shall  be  placed  in  the 
most  favorable  environment,  surrounded  by  the  com- 
panionship of  those  of  his  own  age,  and  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  skilled  educators,  who  have  won   dis- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VKNTS  211 

tinctioD  for  their  success  in  the  management  of  pnpils 
of  that  ayv.  It  lias  been  determined,  by  experience, 
that  those  persons  who  give  their  lives  to  the  office  of 
reproduction  have  done  enough  when  that  function  has 
been  well  performed.  Therefore,  instead  of  having  the 
conditions  which  formerly  obtained,  and  which  si  ill 
obtain  here,  where  the  children  are  conceived,  nursed 
and  governed  during  the  first  six  and  most  important 
years  by  overworked,  devitalized,  impoverished  and 
entirely  incompetent  parents,  we  secure  for  both  parent 
and  child  the  happiest  possible  conditions.  In  doing 
this  we  have  only  carried  into  effect  the  principle  which 
you  recognize  in  the  establishment  of  the  public  school. 
If  the  state  has  a  right  to  pass  a  compulsory  education 
law, — and  there  are  few  of  your  citizens  who  do  not 
concede  this  as  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  the 
state, — then  it  certainly  has  the  right  to  make  that 
education  complete  and  effective.  The  difference  in 
our  system  and  yours  is  this:  your  educators  have  not 
yet  comprehended  that  the  chief  end  of  education  is, 
not  to  stuff  the  child  with  information  but  to  teach 
hi ip  +he  use  of  his  faculties.  You  begin  your  education 
at  six  years,  because  you  are  dominated  by  the  idea 
that  that  is  as  soon  as  the  child  can  begin  to  load  up 
with  information,  and  remember  such  things  as  the 
multiplication  table  and  the  forms  of  letters.  You 
have  lost  the  most  Important  years  of  the  child's  life, 
because  lie  has  not  been  taught  the  true  use  of  his 
faculties,  and  he  has  acquired  pernicious  habits  and 
faults  of  character,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  his  im- 


212  LOMA, 

patient,  incompetent  and  often  unkind  parents,  which 
will  remain  to  cripple  him  for  life.  Moreover,  ytrar 
teachers  are  not  instructed  in  the  art  of  character 
study.  They  do  not  understand  the  child,  because  they 
do  not  understand  human  nature.  They  proceed  upon 
the  altogether  untenable  and  unscientific  theory,  that 
the  child  has  a  soul,  regardless  of  the  fact  that  such  a 
thing  has  never  been  seen  or  demonstrated  to  exist 
since  the  beginning  of  the  world.  They  do  not  regard 
the  child  as  a  creature  of  growth,  and  hence  they  do 
not  inspect  his  growth.  Many  a  child  has  been  pun- 
ished and  degraded  in  your  schools  for  inattention, 
when  the  fact  was  that  the  pupil  was  deaf.  We  might, 
with  justice,  say  that  the  teacher  was  blind." 

"I  can  readily  see  that  such  a  system  must  result  in 
the  greatest  possible  culture  of  the  child,''  said  Mrs. 
Bell;  "but  do  not  the  mothers  suffer  from  this  separa- 
tion from  their  offspring,  and  does  it  not  tend  to  destroy 
the  maternal  instinct  ?" 

"Quite  the  contrary.  You  must  remember  that  the 
mothers  are  granted  almost  complete  immunity  from 
other  duties,  and  are  left  to  the  highest  culture  of  them- 
selves. They  thus  have  abundant  leisure,  and  they  are 
not  separated  from  their  offspring.  The  children  are 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  educators,  but  as  only  a 
few  hours  each  day  are  devoted  to  actual  exercises  of 
development,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  time  of  the 
young  citizen  is  passed  in  play  and  various  forms  of 
athletic  exercises,  the  mothers  have  the  privilege  of 
being  delighted  spectators  and  participants  in  these 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


213 


spoils,  and  they  have  five  or  ten  times  as  much  actual 
companionship   with   their  offspring  as  the  average 

mother  has  here.  Moreover,  as  the  departments  of  edu- 
cation are  constantly  needing  new  teachers,  in  all  of 
the  grades,  a  large  number  of  the  young  mothers  find 
it  enjoyable  to  master  the  entire  details  of  the  educa- 
tional system  of  certain  grades,  notably  the  infant  and 
primary  classes,  and  many  of  our  best  educators  arc 
those  who  have  been  the  fathers  or  mothers  of  several 
citizens.  The  grounds  of  the  departments  of  education 
are  magnificent  parks,  and  they  are  constantly  filled 
with  parents,  who,  in  addition  to  participating  in  the 
games  and  sports  of  the  young,  are  exchanging  the 
most  delightful  social  courtesies  among  themselves. 
You  will  remember  that  every  citizen  is  instructed  as 
the  basis  of  his  education,  that  he  must  exercise  every 
one  of  the  sixty-four  faculties  to  some  extent,  and 
while  the  lives  of  our  citizens  are  for  the  most  part 
continually  passed  in  the  development  of  pleasure, 
there  is  no  ennui  and  no  dissipation.  These  evils  are 
entirely  prevented  by  the  operation  of  the  law  of  niathe- 
matical  equity,  which  every  citizen  understands,  and 
which  he  is  trained  to  observe  and  regard  as  the  foun- 
dation of  his  happiness. 

"The  period  of  education  of  a  citizen  of  Venus  ex- 
tends over  thirty  years.  This  is  divided  into  three 
decades.  The  first  decade  is  occupied  with  the  awak- 
ening of  the  faculties,  which  is  simply  physical  cul- 
ture. By  an  admirable  system  of  exercises  and  drill, 
the  child  is  taughl    the  correct  use  of  himself.     He  is 


214  LOMA, 

first  trained  to  observe.  Then  the  faculty  of  language 
is  aroused  and  he  learns  to  talk.  Meanwhile  his  social 
faculties  have  not  been  neglected,  and  he  is  made  to 
realize  that  he  is  loved,  and  he  at  once  reciprocates 
the  affection.  Then  he  learns  to  walk,  and  by  calis- 
thenic  exercises  and  drill,  he  learns  to  walk  gracefully 
and  correctly.  He  is  not  permitted  to  do  any  of  these 
things  until  he  has  developed  strength,  and  hence  we 
never  have  any  bow  legs,  crooked  knees,  or  other  de- 
formities such  as  are  so  common  among  your  citizens 
from  the  neglect  or  ignorance  of  incompetent  parents. 
"This  first  decade  is  passed  under  the  most  favora- 
ble conditions  of  growth  and  development,  which  is, 
in  fact,  the  rule  of  the  entire  life  on  our  planet.  There 
is  no  confinement,  no  close  atmosphere,  and  no  impa- 
tience or  injustice  practiced  toward  the  young  citizen. 
He  passes  his  time  with  companions  of  his  own  age,  and 
as  the  sexes  are  constantly  associated,  he  has  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  development  of  love  from  the  very  be- 
ginning of  his  existence.  You  will  understand  that 
I  use  the  pronoun  me'  in  its  general  signification,  for 
there  is  absolutely  no  distinction  in  the  matter  of  sex, 
except  that  the  little  girls  are  impressed  with  the  dig- 
nity of  motherhood,  while  the  boys  are  instructed  to 
observe  and  practice  the  virtues  that  lead  to  correct 
fatherhood.  These  subjects,  however,  are  freely  dis- 
cussed in  the  presence  of  both  sexes  at  all  ages,  and, 
therefore,  there  may  be  said  to  be  no  difference  in  the 
methods  of  education.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  little  boys 
love  dolls  as  well  as  the  little  girls,  and  the  girls  love 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS.  215 

athletic  sports  as  well  as  the  boys.  The  greatest  at- 
tention is  paid,  during  this  decade,  to  the  develop- 
ment of  social  graces,  the  cultivation  of  physical  en- 
ergy, and  the  training  of  the  objective  powers  of  the 
intellect,  so  that,  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  there  is  not 
a  child  among  us  but  what  is  affectionate,  sociable. 
active,  observing  and  exceedingly  graceful  in  all  of  his 
expressions. 

"During  the  second  decade  all  of  these  acquired 
powers  are  kept  active,  but  more  attention  is  given 
to  the  development  of  the  subjective  forms  of  reason- 
ing, to  composition  and  construction,  to  the  develop- 
ment of  prudence  and  executive  ability,  the  forms  of 
government  and  military  discipline.  The  military  sys- 
tem, by  the  way,  is  not  organized  for  offense  and  de- 
fense, as  on  this  planet,  and  guns  and  swords  have 
long  since  become  obsolete.  A  few  of  them  are  pre- 
served in  the  museums  as  curiosities,  and  to  show 
the  great  progress  which  has  been  made;  but  our  mili- 
tary system  is  simply  the  orderly  arrangement  of  gov- 
ernmental discipline.  The  evolutions  of  large  bodies 
of  persons  is  still  practiced  as  a  means  of  securing 
control,  and  it  is  one  of  the  admirable  illustrations 
of  the  application  of  the  rule  of  mathematical  equity. 
During  this  second  decade  all  of  the  education  which 
is  at  tempted  on  this  planet  is  accomplished,  and  a 
great  deal  more,  in  the  departments  of  sociability  and 
ethics,  of  which  you  do  not,  as  yvi,  have  the  faintest 
conception.  During  this  decade  a  great  deal  of  pro- 
ductive work  is  accomplish-  d,  and  all  that  is  done  for 


216  LOMA, 

the  benefit  of  society,  in  the  line  of  actual  production, 
is  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  student. 

"The  progress  of  the  student  has  been  carefully 
watched  up  to  this  point,  and  the  observations  of  the 
direction  his  growth  is  taking  enable  his  preceptors 
to  decide  with  absolute  accuracy  what  line  of  work 
he  is  best  adapted  to,  and  to  what  extent  his  powers 
are  limited.  Usually,  these  powers  have  been  given 
a  definite  direction  by  the  desires  of  his  parents,  and 
the  pains  that  have  been  taken  to  make  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  conception  and  gestation  of 
the  citizen  insure  his  possession  of  special  talent  for 
special  services.  But  it  sometimes  happens  that  some 
unforeseen  circumstance  changes  the  character  of  the 
citizen,  and  some  unexpected  talent  is  developed,  or 
perhaps  some  weakness  is  discovered,  which  will  alter 
the  calculation  and  change  the  destiny  of  the  life. 
(Jallheinfs  system  of  character  study,  embraced  in  the 
second  article  of  his  code,  provides  for  this  exigency, 
and  whatever  the  character  of  the  citizen  proves  itself 
to  be,  it  is  recognized  and  permitted  to  have  its  full 
development  in  the  most  profitable  lines  of  action. 

"At  the  end  of  the  second  decade  the  decision  is 
made  as  to  what  profession,  trade  or  occupation  the 
young  citizen  will  devote  his  efforts.  It  is,  of  00111*80, 
his  ambition  to  excel  in  some  line,  and  render  such 
important  services  to  the  state  that  he  will  be  ad- 
vanced to  the  highest  grade  of  social  position.  The 
third  decade  gives  him  an  excellent  apprenticeship, 
in  which  he  performs  a  large  amount  of  profitable 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  217 

work,  which  is  placed  to  his  credit.  He  now  devotes 
four  hours  per  day  to  the  work  of  his  chosen  profes- 
sion, under  the  most  competent  instructors.  The  rest 
of  his  time  is  his  own,  and  the  most  ambitious  young 
citizens  deArote  four  more  hours  to  the  prosecution  of 
the  further  study  of  such  arts  and  sciences  as  they 
may  have  a  liking  for.  Large  numbers  devote  this 
time  to  music,  and  the  number  of  trained  musicians 
who  are  always  at  the  service  of  the  state,  and  who 
are  engaged  in  giving  private  concerts  at  various 
places,  would  astonish  you.  There  is  a  great  demand 
for  the  services  of  musicians,  for  all  of  the  athletic 
and  calisthenic  exercises  of  the  young  members  of  the 
two  first  decades  are  performed  to  the  time  of  music, 
and  this  music  must  needs  be  first  class,  because  their 
young  ears  must  not  be  dulled  with  imperfect  har- 
mony. A  great  deal  of  time  is  devoted  by  all  classes 
to  dancing,  and  the  military  drill  requires  a  large  num- 
ber of  musicians  of  the  highest  grade.  Grand  choruses 
are  constantly  being  organized,  and  every  afternoon 
every  park  is  converted  into  a  feast  of  song,  music 
aud  dancing,  according  to  the  desires  of  the  persons 
who  frequent  each  resort.  Thus,  in  the  city  of  Rosa- 
lia, where  I  reside,  which  has  only  five  thousand  in- 
habitants, there  are  more  than  one  hundred  musical 
organizations  of  a  private  nature,  beside  the  large  mu- 
sical section  of  the  students,  who  are  required  to  fur- 
nish a  certain  number  of  concerts  every  month. 

"The  student,  therefore,  after  spending  four  hours 
per  day   in    the   labor  of  his  profession   and   devoting 


218  LOMA, 

four  more  hours  to  such  arts  and  sciences  as  may  suit 
his  taste,  is  prohibited  from  any  further  severe  form 
of  labor  by  the  law  of  mathematical  equity,  and  is 
required  to  devote  the  remaining  time  to  social  pleas- 
ure, rest,  or  any  occupation  which  may  be  wholesome 
and  agreeable,  provided  that  he  appropriates  at  least 
eight  hours  of  this  remaining  time  to  sleep.  He  has 
every  opportunity  for  social  pleasure,  as  the  working 
hours  for  professional  labor  are  from  8  a.  m.  to 
noon,  and  after  that  the  young  apprentice  is  prac- 
tically master  of  his  own  time,  provided  he  is  able  to 
give  a  good  account  of  it  to  his  prefect.  The  prefects 
are  members  of  the  educational  body,  and  each  one  is 
responsible  for  the  conduct  of  one  hundred  pupils. 

"When  the  third  decade  is  completed  the  citizen  has 
completed  his  education,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty  years 
he  is  inducted  into  his  profession  with  appropriate 
ceremonies.  He  now  devotes  ten  years  to  the  service 
of  the  state,  and  is  required  to  serve  four  hours  per 
day,  six  days  in  the  week,  in  the  discharge  of  his  pro- 
fessional duties.  It  has  been  found  by  experience 
that  this  amount  of  time  is  more  than  sufficient  to 
place  at  the  disposal  of  the  state  a  splendidly  trained 
and  equipped  body  of  workers  in  every  department 
of  labor  required  by  society.  Consequently,  the  gov- 
ernment has  at  its  disposal  plenty  of  time  to  allow 
deserving  workers  frequent  vacations,  and  it  is  a  fact 
that  the  workers  are,  as  a  rule,  so  absorbed  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  duties,  and  so  thoroughly  con- 
tented, that  the  government  is  obliged  to  employ  a 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  219 

large  corps  of  fertile  inventors  to  keep  up  a  supply 
of  new  enterprises  upon  which  to  employ  the  talent 
at  its  command.  In  fact,  at  the  present  time  the 
highest  honors  have  recently  been  won  by  those  who 
have  been  able  to  suggest  some  desirable  enter- 
prise for  the  employment  of  the  regular  professionals. 
Every  available  piece  of  ground  has  been  beautified 
and  cultivated,  until  the  entire  inhabitable  portion 
of  the  globe  is  a  vast  farm,  garden  and  park.  The 
most  superb  examples  of  architecture  abound  every- 
where, and  as  fast  as  there  is  the  slightest  sign  of 
decay  or  lack  of  safety,  the  old  buildings  are  torn 
down  and  replaced  by  new  ones.  Our  engineers  have 
brought  the  problems  of  transportation  and  sanita- 
tion to  the  highest  possible  point  of  perfection.  In 
fact,  there  is  hardly  a  branch  of  industry  that  can  be 
named,  that  is  conducive  to  the  happiness  and  wel- 
fare of  mankind,  which  has  not  been  brought  to  the 
very  best  possible  conditions. 

"At  the  age  of  forty  the  citizen  has  completed  his 
services  to  the  state,  and  thereafter  his  time  is  entirely 
at  his  own  disposal  and  he  does  as  he  pleases.  His 
social  position  is  assured;  he  has  earned  his  living, 
and  the  amount  of  his  services  placed  to  his  credit  is 
greatly  in  excess  of  the  cost  of  his  maintenance  in 
luxury,  even  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
which  is  the  greatest  age  which  any  of  our  citizens 
have  succeeded  in  reaching.  His  habits  of  industry, 
however,  are  so  thoroughly  well  fixed  by  this  time, 
that  he  probably  continues  to  work  in  his  profession, 


220  LOMA, 

either  as  a  teacher  or  writer,  or  perhaps  he  devotes 
his  time  to  the  prosecution  of  some  entirely  new 
branch  of  study.  For  instance,  my  father,  after  serv- 
ing the  state  for  ten  years  in  the  capacity  of  editor 
of  a  daily  paper,  upon  receiving  his  discharge,  devoted 
his^  usual  working  hours  to  the  study  of  astronomy, 
in  which  he  became  very  expert  and  won  two  gold 
medals  from  the  National  Association  of  Astronomers, 
for  the  discovery  of  two  new  comets. 

"One  grand  feature  of  our  industrial  system  remain ;; 
to  be  told,"  said  Loma,  and  his  fine  countenance 
glowed  with  an  expression  of  great  pride  and  rever- 
ence. "We  take  care  of  our  aged  citizens  with  the 
same  solicitude  that  is  expended  upon  the  young.  As 
the  shades  of  eternal  night  begin  to  gather,  when  the 
step  loses  its  buoyancy  and  the  eyes  grow  dim,  there  irf 
no  sadness,  no  neglect,  no  memories  of  ingratitude. 
As  there  are  those  who  by  nature  are  specially  qual- 
ified to  assume  the  control  and  direction  of  the  first 
years  of  the  young  life,  so  there  are  those  who  are 
especially  gifted  in  the  ability  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  the  aged.  Serene  in  the  contemplation  of  a  life 
well  spent,  jubilant  in  the  retrospection  of  past  tri- 
umphs, surrounded  by  the  hale  companions  of  his 
youth,  and  ministered  to  by  loving  hands,  with  no 
speculation  on  the  present  and  no  fears  for  the  future, 
the  aged  citizen  of  Venus  calmly  awaits  the  dissolu- 
tion of  his  powers.  There  are  no  honors  too  great  to 
be  rendered  to  the  serene  old  man  or  woman,  as  they 
calmly   review   the   procession   of   their   descendants, 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VKNTS.  o2l 

who  arc  enjoying  the  blessings  bequeathed  to  them 
through  their  observation  of  the  law  of  mathematical 

cquit}'.  And  when  at  last  the  golden  bowl  is  broken 
and  the  citizen  is  admitted  to  eternal  rest,  there  is  no 
grief,  no  mourning,  no  habiliments  and  trappings  of 
woe.  His  body  is  quietly  cremated,  and  all  that  re- 
mains of  him  is  the  sweet  perfume  of  his  perfect  life 
and  the  memory  of  his  excellent  accomplishments." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


SOCIAL  AND  SEXUAL   ETHICS. 

"Phrenology!    Best  gift  of  Mind  to  111:111, 
Before  whom  Evil  hides  her  guilty  face 
And  Superstition  cries  out  in  alarm. 
Thy  power  will  emancipate  the  race 
And  lead  us  on  to  joys  intensified 
A  thousandfold  beyond  our  present  ken, 
"When  we  shall  blend  in  perfect  harmony 
And  Love's  sweet  offspring  come  in  Virtue's    power 
To  bless  the  world  with  fairer  creatures  still. 
Phrenology!    'Tis  thy  triumphant   hour!" 

At  his  next  morning  session  for  instruction,  Loma 
announced  that  he  would  proceed  to  interest  his  audi- 
tors with  a  complete  exposition  of  the  system  of  sexual 
association  practiced  upon  Venus. 

"To  understand  my  remarks  upon  this  subject  you 
must  bear  in  mind  that  our  citizens  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  many  generations  of  complete  and  correct 
edueation.  While  Gallheim's  system  of  philosophy 
was  very  complete  in  itself,  yet  the  full  benefits  of  its 
operation  were  not  felt  for  many  years.  At  first  there 
was  some  friction,  and  this  is  always  to  be  expected 
after  a  change,  until  the  mental  capacities  of  the  peo- 
ple are  educated  to  a  full  comprehension  of  it.  But 
when  you  understand  that  all  of  our  citizens  are  now 
created  under  the  operation  of  his  wise  laws,  and  that 
the  patriotism   of  each   member  of  society  is  always 

(223) 


224  LOMA, 

excited  towards  making  a  record  in  behalf  of  the  im- 
provement of  the  race,  you  will  be  able  to  understand 
how  we  conquer  some  difficulties  that  might  otherwise 
seem  insurmountable. 

"The  first  important  fact  to  which  I  wish  to  direct 
your  attention  is,  that  our  citizens  are  in  a  natural 
state,  and  that  we  do  not  have  to  contend  with  in- 
flamed and  unnatural  passions.  It  is  safe  to  say,  that 
seven-eighths  of  the  moral  obliquity  of  which  your 
citizens  are  guilty  in  the  department  of  sexual  ethics 
come  from  unnatural  and  injurious  food,  and  the  use 
of  alcoholic  liquors,  tobacco  and  other  stimulants, 
which  are  entirely  injurious,  and  which,  beside  blunt- 
ing the  moral  perception  and  destroying  the  balance 
of  the  judgment,  actually  inflame  the  desires  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  are  uncontrollable.  These  con- 
ditions were  all  abolished  by  the  adoption  of  Gall- 
heim's  code,  and  we  have  a  class  of  citizens,  as  a  con- 
sequence, who  are  able  to  control  their  desires  and 
make  them  subject  to  the  application  of  the  law  of 
mathematical  equity. 

"Another  condition  which  is  in  our  favor,  is  that  the 
natural  desires  of  the  affectional  nature  are  satisfied 
from  infancy  to  old  age.  The  very  first  impression 
that  is  made  upon  the  young  citizen  is,  that  he  is 
loved,  and  that  his  affection  is  desired  in  return.  He 
is  kissed,  caressed  and  encouraged  to  exercise  his  own 
affection  by  both  sexes  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
of  his  life.  Now,  on  this  planet  you  violate  the  law 
of  the  development  of  love  by  instructing  your  young 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENDS.  225 

people  thai  it  is  dangerous  and  indecent  to  express 
love  freely.  As  soon  as  the  young  citizen  passes  out 
of  his  swaddling  clothes  he  begins  to  despise  the 
caresses  of  his  mother,  and  he  is  taught  that  it  is  un- 
manly and  babyish  to  be  affectionate.  Your  girl  is 
taught  to  absolutely  strangle  her  affections  until  mar- 
riage, in  order  that  she  may  then  gratify  the  selfish 
whim  of  the  tyrant  who  is  to  own  her,  by  being  what 
he  calls  'chaste;'  that  is,  that  she  has  never  given  ex- 
pression to  a  single  impulse  of  love  to  any  fellow- 
creature  of  the  opposite  sex,  except  his  arrogant,  igno- 
rant and  selfish  self.  Asa  consequence  of  this  sentiment 
and  doctrine,  there  are  thousands  of  your  young  men 
and  women  who  are  in  a  state  of  sexual  starvation, 
and  as  they  have  been  starved  from  their  youth  up, 
they  have  no  conception  of  what  is  right.  With  the 
larger  liberties  you  allow  your  boys,  the  majority  of 
them  become  rakes,  and  satisfy  their  passions  when- 
ever and  wherever  they  can,  without  taste  or  discrim- 
ination, and  after  a  few  years  of  such  dissipation  they 
are  utterly  unfit  for  a  pure  sexual  association  with  any 
woman.  On  the  other  hand,  your  girls  either  become 
sexually  paralyzed,  or,  yielding  to  the  dictates  of 
strong  impulses,  they  violate  the  customs  of  your  so- 
ciety, and,  if  discovered,  they  are  disgraced. 

"Now,  upon  our  planet  we  have  no  such  conditions. 
The  fact  that  love  is  made  a  subject  of  study,  and  in- 
struction, the  same  as  music  or  any  other  department 
of  knowledge,  has  enabled  us  to  obtain  the  same  de- 
sirable results.    The  affection   which  exists  between 

15 


228  LOMA, 

the  parent  and  child  is  never  allowed  to  grow  cold. 
You  will  see  a  mother  of  advanced  age  surrounded 
by  stalwart  sons  and  beautiful  daughters,  and  per- 
haps a  score  of  grandchildren,  and  by  actual  count 
you  will  see  that  she  receives  as  many,  or  perhaps 
more,  demonstrations  of  affection  in  the  course  of  a 
day  as  she  received  when  she  was  a  beautiful  young 
baby  in  her  mother's  arms.  As  between  the  sexes, 
and  persons  of  the  same  age,  the  same  spirit  of  affec- 
tion prevails.  Young  persons  become  attached  to  each 
other  in  infancy,  and  continue  through  life  to  give 
and  receive  kisses  and  caresses  with  the  greatest  free- 
dom. 

"As  a  consequence,  we  do  not  have  the  condition  of 
starvation  to  contend  with,  and  the  affectional  natures 
of  our  young  men  and  women  being  satisfied  by  these 
conditions,  they  are  ready  to  consider  the  sexual  rela- 
tions with  sound  judgment  and  to  adopt  that  course 
of  action  which  the  experience  of  the  race  has  proven 
to  be  in  accord  with  the  law  of  mathematical  equity 
and  the  best  practical  results.  Another  fact  which 
conduces  greatly  to  the  establishment  of  correct  moral 
conditions  is,  that  sexual  intercourse  is  not  consid- 
ered forbidden  fruit.  It  is  regarded  as  a  purely  nat- 
ural function,  and  the  imagination  of  the  young  citi- 
zen is  not  inflamed  by  its  being  surrounded  by  the 
air  of  mystery  which  pervades  all  classes  on  the 
earth.  The  destruction  of  the  belief  in  the  supernat- 
ural, which  was  the  first  principle  of  Gallheim's  code, 
rendered  all  subjects  free  to  the  investigation  of  the 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENDS.  227 

people,  and  as  soon  as  the  curiosity  of  the  young  citi- 
zen is  satisfied  with  reference  to  his  sexual  functions, 
and  he  understands  them,  he  dismisses  the  subject 
from  his  mind  and  engages  himself  in  the  pleasures 
which  are  suitable  to  his  ago,  with  the  full  belief,  that, 
when  he  reaches  maturity,  he  will  have  all  of  the  en- 
joyment intended  by  nature  in  the  exercise  of  those 
parts  of  his  constitution. 

"With  these  explanations,  you  can  readily  under- 
stand that  it  is  not  difficult  to  enforce  the  doctrine 
which  is  universally  accepted  on  Venus,  that  sexual 
intercourse  should  not  take  place  until  the  partici- 
pants have  reached  maturity.  We  find  that  our  male 
citizens  usually  become  fully  mature  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  and  the  female  citizens  about  five  years 
younger.  Hence  the  question  of  indulgence  does  not 
present  itself  to  the  consideration  of  the  young  mem- 
bers of  society  until  they  are  sufficiently  mature  to 
meet  it  with  sound  judgment.  It  is  firmly  impressed 
upon  the  young  citizen,  that  sexual  intercourse  before 
maturity  is  highly  injurious,  and  destructive  of  enjoy- 
ment after  that  period,  and  the  law  of  mathematical 
equity  is  again  invoked  with  the  happiest  results.. 
But  in  the  meantime  the  young  citizen  is  instructed 
in  the  minutest  details  of  the  proper  performance  of 
the  act,  and  as  this,  as  well  as  every  department  of 
knowledge,  is  carried  to  the  perfection  of  a  fine  art, 
when  the  time  for  indulgence  arrives,  the  participants 
are  prepared  to  obtain  the  highest  form  of  enjoyment 
from  the  exercise  of  the  function. 


228  LOMA, 

"The  enforcement  of  the  second  and  third  articles 
of  Gallheim's  code  has  caused  every  citizen  of  Venus 
to  be  thoroughly  instructed  in  the  art  of  character 
study  and  the  principles  which  underlie  the  improve- 
ment of  the  race.  Consequently,  all  intimate  associa- 
tions are  governed  by  the  laws  of  affinity,  and  as  the 
study  of  personal  magnetism  has  been  carried  to  the 
same  degree  of  perfection  as  all  others,  we  have 
learned  what  combinations  of  complexion,  tempera- 
ment, quality  and  phrenological  development  produce 
the  best  results  in  all  departments  of  effort.  You 
will  remember  that  every  citizen  has  been  created 
with  a  definite  purpose,  and  that  that  purpose  has 
been  kept  in  view  at  every  stage  of  development 
and  education.  Each  citizen  is  anxious  to  make  the 
highest  possible  record,  and  consequently,  as  the  act 
of  sexual  intercourse  is  recognized  and  used  as  one 
of  the  greatest  powers  of  the  individual,  it  follows  that 
the  selections  that  are  made  of  companions  for  this 
exalted  act  are  made  with  direct  reference  to  the  best 
possible  effects  on  the  happiness  of  the  parties,  and 
the  results  desired  in  the  offspring,  if  any  are  contem- 
plated. 

"In  order  that  you  may  comprehend  the  manner  in 
which  these  selections  are  made,  I  must  explain  an- 
other feature  of  our  social  system.  In  the  very  nature 
of  the  constitution  of  man  it  is  plain  that  some  per- 
sons must  be  more  agreeable  than  others  to  any  given 
individual.  While  it  is  our  duty  to  treat  every  living- 
thing  with  justice  and  kindness,  yet  there  are  some 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  229 

we  do  not  wish  to  be  continually  associated  with,  and 
many  we  cannot  entertain  to  any  extent.  There  are 
others  we  wish  to  manifest  friendship  toward,  with 
more  than  conventional  warmth,  and  there  are  others 
still  upon  whom  we  wish  to  lavish  affection.  Now. 
the  capacity  of  any  individual  is  limited  in  all  of  these 
directions,  though  under  our  system  of  culture  of  the 
affections,  the  number  of  persons  that  are  fervently 
loved  by  some  of  our  strongest  and  best  natures  would 
be  incredible  on  this  planet,  where  nothing  of  the  kind 
is  practiced,  but  rather  suppressed. 

"In  Venus  the  social  relations  of  every  citizen  are 
classified  under  seven  specific  degrees,  as  strangers, 
acquaintances,  associates,  brothers,  sisters,  lovers,  and 
consorts. 

"A  stranger  is  a  person  whose  relationship  is  un- 
known. This  includes  all  persons  not  defined  in  the 
remaining  classifications. 

"An  acquaintance  is  a  person  whose  name,  resi- 
dence and  social  position  are  known,  but  who  may  not 
be  related  to  the  individual  in  any  intimate  way.  An 
associate  is  an  intimate  acquaintance,  and  this  rela- 
tionship corresponds  to  that  which  your  society  main- 
tains among  those  who  have  a  visiting  and  cordial 
friendship,  but  who  do  not  consider  themselves  bound 
by  any  special  ties.  The  establishment  of  these  rela- 
tions is  largely  a  matter  of  locality  and  convenience, 
sometimes  of  accident,  but  a  man  is  not  considered  an 
associate  until  cordial  social  courtesies  have  been  ex- 
changed. 


230  LOMA. 

"When  persons  of  either  sex  conceive  a  strong  at- 
tachment for  each  other  it  is  in  order  for  either  to  pro- 
pose a  covenant  of  fraternity.  This  covenant  is  a 
pleasing  ceremony,  and  is  always  celebrated  with  fes- 
tivities in  the  presence  of  other  members  of  society. 
When  this  covenant  has  been  formally  sealed,  the 
parties  are  considered  in  an  affectionate  relationship, 
and  they  caress  each  other  as  freely  as  is  agreeable. 
In  this  state  there  is  an  absolute  guaranty  of  protec- 
tion and  fidelity,  and  a  young  woman  in  Venus  never 
hesitates  to  accept  a  caress  from  a  brother,  because 
she  knows  he  is  sincere,  and  that  it  does  not  imply 
any  sexual  intercourse,  or  any  temptation  to  indulge 
in  that  act.  While  sexual  intercourse  is  not  consid- 
ered a  crime,  and  if  it  were  indulged  in,  it  would  not 
subject  the  parties  to  disgrace,  but  only  to  a  parental 
admonition  from  a  prefect,  yet  so  thoroughly  is  the 
idea  inculcated  that  this  act  must  not  be  performed 
until  the  proper  stage  is  reached,  that  the  rule  is  never 
violated.  A  brother  proposing  such  a  thing  to  a  young 
woman  with  whom  he  has  celebrated  this  covenant 
would  be  regarded  as  insane,  and  it  would  probably 
produce  the  same  effect  upon  her  that  would  be  pro- 
duced upon  Myrtle  if  I  should  ask  her  to  rattle  a  tin 
pan  while  Edward  was  singing  us  one  of  his  excellent 
compositions.  Such  is  the  effect  of  education  and  re- 
finement, coupled  with  a  correct  understanding  of  the 
use  of  things. 

"When,  however,  the  citizen  has  advanced  toward 
maturity,   and    the  sexual   senses   have  become   thor- 


A  CITIZKN  OF  VENUS.  231 

oughly  trained  and  subject  to  the  dictates  of  enlight- 
ened judgment,  the  young  man  or  woman  becomes 
conscious  that  those  persons  who  arc  his  or  her  sexual 
affinities,  according  to  the  laws  of  human  association, 
which  have  by  this  time  been  thoroughly  mastered, 
are  agreeable  for  a  higher  use.  We  will  suppose  that 
we  are  considering  the  case  of  a  young  woman  of 
Myrtle's  age,  though,  as  I  have  said,  there  is  no  dis- 
tinction in  favor  of  either  sex  in  the  practical  work- 
ing of  these  customs.  She  has  a  large  number  of  as- 
sociates, and  of  these  a  number  have  been  advanced 
to  the  fraternal  degree.  She  becomes  conscious  that 
of  her  brothers  there  are  not  less  than  twenty  who 
are  of  suitable  age  and  temperament  to  be  her  sexual 
affinity.  She  must  have  time  to  discover  which  of 
these  she  prefers,  and  this  can  only  be  determined  at 
last  by  very  intimate  association  and  the  extension 
of  fraternal  greetings  and  caresses  into  those  expres- 
sions which  have  a  closer  significance  to  the  sexual 
act.  She,  therefore,  advances  to  the  degree  of  lovers 
those  of  her  brothers  for  whom  she  has  a  strong  per- 
sonal attachment.  This  is  probably  five  years  before 
she  expects  to  become  a  mother.  But  in  the  degree 
of  love,  she  tests  her  feelings,  and  very  soon  discovers 
the  one  for  whom  she  has  the  highest  and  most  ex- 
alted sentiments  and  who  reciprocates  them  in  the 
highest  degree.  This  mailer  of  selection  is  purely 
mutual,  and  a  rejection  is  not  considered  a  slight  to 
either  party,  for  the  law  of  mathematical  equity  re- 
quires each  person  to  use  the  highest    skill  and  best 


232  LOMA, 

possible  judgment  in  making  the  selection.  When  the 
selection  has  been  made,  it  is  announced,  and  the 
parties  remain  as  betrothed  lovers  for  several  months, 
testing  the  effect  of  association  in  every  possible  way, 
and  developing  their  powers  together,  so  as  to  be  sure 
before  any  sexual  intercourse  is  attempted  that  they 
will  be  perfectly  harmonious. 

"When  this  period  of  probation  is  past  they  receive 
the  congratulations  of  their  friends,  and  begin  their 
sexual  association,  with  a  ceremony  acknowledging 
and  recording  the  relationship.  For  at  least  one  year 
no  possibility  of  conception  is  incurred,  and  if  at  any 
time  it  is  discovered  that  the  relationship  is  injurious 
to  either  party,  or  that  they  do  not  harmonize  in  the 
highest  degree,  the  relationship  *is  at  once  dissolved 
and  new  relationships  formed  according  to  the  same 
system.  So  perfect  is  the  operation  of  the  system  of 
selection,  however,  that  only  a  fraction  of  one  per 
cent,  of  the  relationships  thus  fonned  are  ever  dis- 
solved. When  a  dissolution  takes  place,  however, 
there  is  no  scandal,  and  the  parties  suffer  no  more 
loss  in  the  esteem  of  their  associates  than  Myrtle 
would  with  us  if  she  attempted  to  play  a  difficult 
piece  of  music  and  should  make  a  mistake.  The  law 
of  mathematical  equity  prohibits  the  visitation  of  any 
loss  of  social  position  upon  the  parties  who  have  earn- 
estly and  conscientiously  endeavored  to  do  their  best 
for  the  advancement  of  society,  even  though  they  may 

fail. 

"Tt  is  usual  for  the  parties  to  continue  in  the  rela- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  233 

tion  of  consorts  for  a  period  of  years,  usually  from 
two  to  five,  before  they  produce  offspring.  When 
they  have  become  perfectly  attuned,  they  are  admitted 
to  the  palaces  of  maternity,  and  here  they  generate 
their  offspring  according  to  the  admirable  system  I 
have  already  described.  When  a  child  has  been  pro- 
duced the  obligation  is  at  an  end,  and  either  party  is 
free  to  return  to  single  life,  or  to  form  a  new  rela- 
tionship, if  they  so  desire;  but  they  have  usually  be- 
come so  warmly  attached  to  each  other  that  the  re- 
lation is  continued  at  least  to  the  full  extent  for  which 
they  are  allowed  by  the  law  of  mathematical  equity 
to  become  parents.  No  woman  becomes  a  mother 
after  she  is  thirty-five  years  of  age,  and  no  man  be- 
comes a  father  after  he  is  forty.  So  perfectly  is  the 
law  of  conception  understood  on  our  planet,  that  no 
accidents  occur,  and  the  man  or  woman  who  cannot 
regulate  the  matter  of  conception  is  unknown  among 
us.  After  the  age  of  conception  is  past  the  parties 
continue  to  consort  together  and  enjoy  their  sexual 
relations,  and,  as  I  have  stated,  they  seldom  dissolve 
the  relation.  It  is  not  compulsory,  however,  and  after 
the  parties  have  passed  the  age  of  parentage  they  are 
at  liberty  to  do  as  they  please.  But  by  this  time  they 
have  been  so  thoroughly  satisfied,  and  what  is  decent 
and  correct  has  become  so  thoroughly  understood,  that 
there  is  no  indulgence  but  what  is  approved  by  our 
authorities  as  conducive  to  health  and  the  best  possi- 
ble effects  upon  happiness. 

"It  has  been  determined  that  the  best  results  are 


234  LOMA, 

attained  by  the  exclusive  sexual  intercourse  of  one 
man  with  one  woman,  provided  that  it  is  accompanied 
by  the  highest  expression  of  mutual  love  and  recipro- 
cated desire.  Hence  it  is  never  attempted  in  any  other 
way,  and  if  the  parties  cease  to  be  attractive  and 
loving,  which  rarely  happens,  they  are  permitted  to 
correct  the  mistake,  and  to  form  another  relation, 
which  is  equally  as  exclusive  while  it  lasts,  and  it 
usually  lasts.  Now,  while  it  is  found  that  sexual  in- 
tercourse is  more  beneficial  when  it  is  confined  to  one 
consort,  it  is  not  so  with  the  other  expressions  of  love. 
When  a  man  or  woman  ceases  to  exchange  affectionate 
demonstrations  with  all  persons  except  the  consort, 
it  is  discovered  that  such  persons  become  stale  and 
flat  in  the  exercise  of  love,  and  receiving  no  mag- 
netism, except  that  of  the  consort,  they  soon  become 
starved.  Hence  it  is  the  custom  for  both  parties  to  re- 
tain all  of  their  lovers,  and  after  a  person  has  selected 
his  or  her  consort,  the  lovers  unite  in  contributing  all 
their  good  influences  to  the  benefit  of  the  one  who 
has  favored  them  by  advancing  them  to  that  degree. 
Hence,  in  the  case  of  the  young  woman  we  have  been 
considering,  while  she  has  sexual  intercourse  only 
with  her  consort,  yet  she  is  continually  fed  with  the 
magnetism  of  her  lovers  and  brothers,  and  the  rich- 
ness of  the  development  of  her  love  nature  goes  on 
without  interruption.  When  she  becomes  pregnant 
she  draws  largely  upon  all  of  these  resources  for  the 
sustenance  and  mental  food  she  requires,  and  the  re- 
sult is,  that  her  child  reflects  the  combined  excellen- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  235 

cies  of  all  her  lovers  in  his  constitution,  instead  of  be- 
ing the  starved  and  puny  production  of  two  narrow 
natures. 

"The  foregoing  observations  apply  to  all  those  per- 
sons who  have  adopted  the  profession  of  parentage. 
The  same  system  of  selection  obtains  among  those 
who  have  decided  that  they  will  not  produce  offspring, 
except  that  this  fact  is  always  mutually  understood 
before  they  advance  to  the  degree  of  consorts.  In 
case  both  parties  desire  it,  they  may  at  any  time  adopt 
the  profession  of  parentage,  even  though  they  do  not 
contemplate  it  at  the  time  of  consorting.  But  in  case 
one  party  develops  a  strong  desire  for  offspring,  and 
the  other  party  does  not,  the  relationship  is  then  dis- 
solved, and  new  relations  formed,  according  to  the 
wishes  of  the  parties,  for  it  is  a  cardinal  principle  in 
the  law  of  reproduction  that  no  person  should  ever 
become  the  parent  of  a  child  unwillingly,  and  that  no 
one  who  is  healthy  and  of  suitable  age  should  be  de- 
nied that  privilege  when  it  is  earnestly  desired  and 
can  be  indulged  without  violating  the  law  of  mathe- 
matical equity  in  its  application  to  the  welfare  of  the 
proposed  offspring.  Under  the  enlightened  conditions 
which  have  been  produced  by  the  application  of  tin1 
full  text  of  Clallheim's  code,  these  matters  are  perfectly 
adjusted." 

"It  is  clear  from  your  exposition  of  the  subject,"  said 
Mrs.  Bell,  "that  your  citizens  use  the  act  of  sexual  in- 
tercourse for  more  purposes  than  mere  reproduction. 
Since  the  agitation  of  these  subjects  began   on   the 


236  LOMA, 

earth,  a  certain  class  of  reformers  have  developed, 
who  argue  that  there  should  be  no  intercourse  under 
any  circumstances,  except  for  actual  reproduction. 
They  have  attracted  a  very  respectable  following  by 
their  arguments,  many  of  which  appear  to  rest  upon 
reason.  I  would  greatly  enjoy  hearing  your  opinion 
upon  this  subject." 

"The  same  theory  was  advanced  upon  Venus  when 
the  subject  was  in  the  same  stage  of  development," 
answered  Loma,  "and  it  was  a  healthy  reaction  from 
the  unbridled  license  which  had  prevailed  up  to  that 
time,  under  the  system  of  marriage.  While  the  wife 
was  the  slave  of  the  husband,  she  was  obliged  to  sub- 
mit to  his  unnatural  demands,  and  a  long  train  of 
evils  was  the  result.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  there 
was  a  reaction  when  the  wife  began  to  obtain  the 
control  of  her  person,  and  those  persons  who  did 
not  comprehend  the  enjoyments  of  a  perfect  form  of 
the  act,  began  to  advocate  the  theory  you  have  men- 
tioned. It  was  noticeable,  however,  that  it  had  no 
strong  adherents  of  either  sex  who  were  well  devel- 
oped in  the  affectional  nature,  except  those  who  had 
been  disappointed  in  marriage,  and  whose  sexual  pas- 
sions had  been  in  a  measure  injured  or  destroyed  by 
some  form  of  abuse.  Those  who  really  loved  and  cop- 
ulated in  purity  and  happiness,  experienced  such 
ecstatic  joys  that  they  were  unwilling  to  adopt  the 
theory,  and  those  who  were  inflamed  by  unnatural 
desire  ridiculed  it  and  disregarded  it.  This  led  to  a 
careful  investigation  at  last,  and  under  the  application 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENT'S. 


237 


and  practices  of  Galllieinfs  code,  and  especially  of  the 
third  article,  it  was  discovered  that  the  sexual  act  con- 
sisted in  an  exchange  of  magnetism,  and  that  when  it 
was  performed  intelligently,  it  was  a  powerful  force 
which  could  be  used,  not  only  for  the  reproduction  of 
offspring  but  also  for  the  reproduction  and  increase  of 
all  the  mental  and  physical  powers  of  the  participants. 
The  argument  which  was  the  strongest  advanced  by 
the  advocates  of  the  theory,  that  all  other  animals  ob- 
served this  supposed  law  except  man,  was  completely 
overthrown  by  this  discovery,  because  man  was  dem- 
onstrated to  be  the  only  animal  who  was  sufficiently 
endowed  with  intelligence  to  apply  it.  It  was  shown 
that  man  was  the  only  animal  who  could  understand 
the  laws  of  electricity  and  magnetism,  and  to  compel 
him  to  forego  the  benefits  which  he  could  derive  from 
a  proper  understanding  and  application  of  the  laws  of 
sexual  magnetism  and  electricity  was  as  absurd  as  to 
require  him  to  abandon  the  uses  of  the  same  forces  in 
the  arts  and  sciences.  Therefore,  when  man  ceased  to 
consider  himself  bound  by  the  habits  of  the  animals 
who  were  beneath  him  in  intelligence  and  complexity 
of  organization,  and  began  to  study  himself,  in  the 
light  of  science,  experiment  and  observation,  the  true 
laws  of  sexual  association  were  rapidly  formulated  and 
comprehensively  taught.  I  will  make  these  laws  the 
subject  of  a  special  session  of  your  instruction." 

"There  is  only  one  thing  which  I  do  not  clearly  un- 
derstand in  the  operation  of  your  system  of  sexual  as- 
sociation," said  Myrtle,  "and  that  I  can  embody  in  a 


238  LOMA, 

single  question.  When  a  young  man  or  woman  has  a 
large  number  of  lovers,  do  they  become  jealous  and 
quarrel  among  themselves  over  preferences,  as  we  do 
on  this  planet?" 

"That  is  rendered  impossible  by  the  operation  of  the 
law  of  mathematical  equity,"  answered  Loma.  "You 
understand  that  the  fact  that  the  young  woman  has 
advanced  a  number  of  her  brothers  to  the  exalted  de- 
gree of  lovers  gives  them  no  claim  to  exclusive  posses- 
sion of  her  under  any  circumstances.  They  are  simply 
complimented  by  being  assured  that  they  have  a  share 
in  her  affections,  and  jealousy  among  them  would  be 
as  absurd  as  jealousy  among  brothers  in  one  of  your 
present  families  concerning  a  sister.  Jealousy  never 
arises  in  such  a  relationship,  even  on  this  earth,  unless 
the  jealous  person  is  insane.  You  sometimes  have  an 
example  of  a  woman  who  is  jealous  of  the  affection  of 
her  husband  toward  his  daughter  by  a  former  mar- 
riage, or  of  a  wife  toward  her  husband's  sisters,  or 
something  similar,  but  in  all  of  these  cases  you  know 
that  the  condition  is  abnormal  and  you  treat  it  as  a 
form  of  insanity.  A  young  man  who  would  show  jeal- 
ousy, and  make  himself  disagreeable,  or  attempt  to  in- 
terfere with  the  young  lady's  liberties  in  any  way, 
would  soon  find  himself  dismissed  from  the  coterie  of 
her  lovers,  and  sometimes  such  things  have  occurred, 
but  so  rarely  as  to  furnish  few  examples.  When  a  young 
man  has  been  selected  as  a  lady's  consort  he  is  very 
secure  in  her  affections,  and  as  all  of  her  lovers  now 
unite  in  showing  how  faithful  and  devoted  they  can 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  239 

be  to  her  interests,  he  would  be  a  tool  if  he  manifested 
anything  but  the  warmest  appreciation  of  their  efforts 
in  her  behalf.  At  the  same  time  his  lovers  of  the  other 
sex  are  showing  their  devotion  to  him  by  every  act 
which  can  promote  his  happiness  in  his  choice,  and  his 
consort  would  be  considered  insane,  and  it  would  be 
considered  good  grounds  for  the  immediate  dissolution 
of  the  compact,  if  she  in  any  way  attempted  to  inter- 
fere with  his  liberties,  or  to  require  him  to  sacrifice  any 
of  the  privileges  which  science  and  the  experience  of 
the  race  have  decided  are  beneficial.  For  instance,  if 
she  should  manifest  displeasure  because  he  bestowed 
an  ardent  caress  upon  one  of  his  lovers,  she  would  be 
regarded  as  having  acted  as  insanely  as  if  she  had 
been  displeased  because  he  ate  his  dinner  with  relish. 
We  do  not  have  these  conditions  upon  Venus,  because 
all  of  our  citizens  have  been  so  thoroughly  instructed 
in  the  principles  of  mathematical  equity.  To  show 
you  how  our  lovers  act,  I  will  relate  the  method 
of  a  very  delightful  social  custom.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  choice  of  consorts  has  been  made,  and 
the  minds  of  the  parties  are  regarded  as  settled,  after 
a  scientific  and  sensible  method  of  choice,  the  fact  is 
recognized,  that,  the  delight  of  the  parties  in  each  other 
can  be  greatly  increased  bv  the  congratulations  of 
their  friends.  So  when  a  betrothal  is  announced,  it  is 
the  custom  for  the  lovers  of  both  parties  to  arrange  a 
series  of  receptions  in  their  honor,  and  to  write  fre- 
quent letters  of  congratulation,  in  which  some  virtue 
of  the  consort  is  commented  on.     By  the  time  the  par- 


240  LOMA, 

ties  are  ready  for  the  final  ceremony  of  the  act  of  con- 
sorting, they  are  in  the  highest  possible  condition  of 
mutual  admiration  and  love,  and  the  attachment  is 
thus  cemented  and  continued.  It  is  considered  a  most 
elegant  thing  to  suggest  to  a  man  some  extraordinary 
virtue  of  his  consort.  If  this  custom  prevailed  on 
earth  there  would  be  fewer  divorces,  but  your  people 
lose  all  interest  in  the  married  man  or  woman,  because 
they  are  regarded  as  the  chattels  of  each  other. 

"It  is  this  idea  of  ownership  which  is  the  curse  of 
your  social  system  and  the  cause  of  jealousy.  Men 
and  women  will  continue  to  be  selfish  until  they  learn 
the  law  of  mathematical  equity.  While  in  ignorance 
of  this  law,  and  believing  in  the  ownership  of  the  mar- 
riage relation,  an  inferior  man  becomes  the  husband 
of  a  superior  wife.  As  soon  as  she  becomes  his  prop- 
erty he  forbids  her  the  natural  association  which  it  is 
her  privilege  to  have  with  all  good  men.  He  is  not 
agreeable  himself,  and  he  knows  it.  He  knows  that 
when  she  meets  a  superior  man,  he  shows  to  a  disad- 
vantage, therefore  he  does  not  want  her  to  meet  any 
superior  men.  She  craves  a  natural  food  which  he 
cannot  and  will  not  provide  her,  and  because  she  seeks 
the  society  of  some  good  man  he  is  torn  with  spasms  of 
insane  fury.  He  is  jealous.  Being  jealous,  he  makes 
himself  so  disagreeable  that  it  takes  a  saint  to  live 
with  him.  All  women  are  not  saints,  and  none  should 
be  required  to  be.  All  that  should  be  required  of  any 
man  or  woman  is  to  be  natural.  It  is  impossible  to  be 
natural  in  an  unnatural  state. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  241 

"I  will  state,  in  closing,  that  the  social  standing  of  a 
citizen  of  Venus  is  graded  according  to  the  number  of 
fraternal  and  loving  relations  he  has  established.     If 
he  can  make  himself  so  agreeable  that  he  can  secure  a 
brother  he  is  credited  with  ten  marks  of  merit.     If  he 
can  secure  a  sister  he  has  twenty  marks  placed  to  his 
credit.     For    every    lover    he    receives    on,-    hundred 
marks,  and  for  a  consort  five  hundred.     These  credits 
are  repeated  for  every  year  that  the  relationship  con- 
tinues.    For  every  child,  a  maximum  of  one  thousand 
marks  is  granted  for  perfection,  and  this  number  is 
proportionately  reduced  if  there  is  any  imperfection 
m  the  offspring.     The  citizen  makes  two  records       V 
juvenile  record,  which  marks  his  progress  on  a.  similar 
scale,  until  he  is  twenty  years  of- age.     At  twenty  he 
begins  to  make  his  life  record.     It   usually  happens 
that,  on  his  twentieth  birthday,  all  of  the  friends  of 
his  youth  renew  their  covenants  with  him,  so  he  starts 
with  a  very  respectable  record.     It  may  interest  yen 
to  know  my  record,  of  which  I  am  proud.     The  juvenile 
record  is  composed  entirely  of  fraternal  relations    as 
.a  juvenile  has  no  lovers  or  consorts.     I  closed   mv 
juvenile  record  with  seven  hundred  and  twenty  broth- 
ers, and  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  ninety-six  sis 
ters,  and  as  the   relationships  had  continued   on   an 
average  ol !nine  years  each,  my  social  record  was  indi- 
cated by  the  number  .352,080.    All  of  n.v  fraternal  rela 
turns  were  renewed  on  my  twentieth  birthday,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  last  year  I  had  the  following  record, 

16 


242  LOMA< 

which  has  been  slightly  increased  since.    I  am  now 
thirty -five  years  of  age: 

I  have  brothers  to  the  number  of  2,960,   with  an 
average  of  eleven  years  of  association,  which 

entitles  me  to  credit  marks 325,000 

Sisters,  4,320,  average  12  years 1,030,800 

Lovers,  276,  average  14  years 386,400 

I  have  had  one  consort,  ten  years 5,000 

We  have  produced  three  perfect  children 3,000 

My  social  standing,  therefore,  last  year  was 1,756,800 

Mrs.  Bell,  Myrtle  and  the  doctor  broke  into  ap- 
plause. Loma,  glowing  with  his  exquisite  magnet  ism, 
extended  his  arms  to  Myrtle,  and  said : 

"Beloved,  may  I  add  you  to  the  list  of  my  lovers  as 
my  latest  and  sweetest  accession?" 

Myrtle,  for  an  answer,  sprang  into  his  arms  and  cov- 
ered his  lips  with  kisses.  "Oh!  if  I  am  only  worthy!" 
was  all  she  said, 

Loma  returned  her  caresses  with  fervor,  and  then, 
releasing  her,  extended  his  arms  to  Mrs.  Bell.  "May 
I  claim  you  as  my  sister?"  he  said  to  her,  and  she  re, 
sponded  with  a  warm  and  sisterly  caress  which  left  no 
doubt  as  to  the  sincerity  with  which  she  reciprocated 
his  attachment. 

Doctor  Bell  arose  from  his  seat  and  extended  his 
arms  to  Loma.  "I  offered  you  my  resources  and  all  my 
powers  of  assistance  the  second  day  of  our  acquaint- 
ance," he  exclaimed.  "May  I  now  take  the  initiative 
and  ask  that  you  make  the  compact  of  Brotherhood 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  243 

with  me,  and  that  it  may  date  from  that  happy  mo- 
ment?" 

"With  all  my  love!"  said  Loma.  "In  fact,  I  so  con- 
sidered it  at  that  time,  but  it  is  delightful  to  renew  it 
now,"  and  so  saying  he  embraced  the  doctor  and  kissed 
him  affectionately.  Then  turning  to  the  ladies  he  ex- 
claimed: 

"Beloved,  if  you  were  sufficiently  clairvoyant,  you 
would  know  that  at  this  moment,  in  Venus,  in  one  of 
the  temples  of  my  city,  my  exalted  consort  is  presiding 
over  a  meeting  of  my  lovers  and  most  intimate  brothers 
and  sisters,  who  are  able  to  be  present,  to  the  number 
of  five  thousand.  Our  entire  proceedings  of  the  last 
hour  have  been  as  well  known  to  them  as  if  they  were 
in  this  conservatory.  At  this  moment  they  are  uniting 
in  a  grand  anthem  of  love  and  friendship  in  honor  of 
the  birth  on  this  earth  of  the  true  system  of  social 
fraternity.  Let  us  unite  with  them,  and  for  a  brief 
period  I  will  give  you  a  glimpse  into  the  regions  of  the 
blessed." 

In  a  moment  Loma  glowed  with  an  intensity  of  mag- 
netism he  had  never  before  displayed.  He  stretched 
out  his  hands  over  his  friends,  and  the  conservatory 
seemed  to  change  into  a  vast  auditorium  of  such  sur- 
passing beauty  that  the  senses  were  bewildered  with 
the  effect  of  its  magnificence.  The  auditorium  was 
filled  with  an  audience  of  human  forms,  glowing  with 
magnetism,  and  radiant  with  the  perfection  of  their 
own  superb  loveliness.  Upon  a  dias  in  the  center  of 
this  auditorium  was  a  woman,  whose  magnet  ism  seemed 


244  LOMA, 

to  be  more  intense  than  any  of  her  audience,  and  whose 
beauty  was  so  surpassing  that  her  image  remained  for- 
ever impressed  upon  the  three  beholders  as  a  dream 
of  never-to-be-forgotten  loveliness.  While  they  gazed 
entranced  upon  this  vision,  their  ears  were  ravished 
with  strains  of  music  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
earthly  senses,  but  which  they  recognized  as  of  the 
same  type  with  which  Loma  had  often  delighted  them. 
Then  their  receptive  abilities  were  exhausted  and  they 
lost  consciousness,  and  knew  no  more  until  they  awoke 
in  the  conservatory  and  found  Loma  regarding  them 
with  his  loving  and  exquisite  smile. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


COMMERCE  AND  WEALTH. 

"Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." 

"We  do  not  shatter  for  the  sake  of  destruction.  There  is 
not  one  of  the  old  doctrines  for  which  we  do  not  substitute 
what  we  believe  to  be  better  and  more  rational.  We  do  not 
take  down  a  single  structure  of  the  past,  but  that  we  seek 
to  erect  a  more  modern  one  and  a  better  one  in  its  stead.  We 
have  never  taken  away  ;iny  belief,  any  cherished  idea,  without 
standing  ready  to  put  in  its  place  something  that  to  us.  at 
least,  seems  nobler  and  more  beautiful.  To  destroy  for  the 
sake  of  instruction  is  without  excuse.  To  destroy  for  the 
sake  of  reconstruction  is  a  work  that  is  of  <iod." 

After  the  transcendent  experience  related  in  the  last 
chapter,  Loma  allowed  his  pupil  to  rest  for  several 
days  before  he  attempted  any  further  instruction.  He 
desired  the  impression  he  had  made  to  sink  deeply  into 
her  intelligence,  and  to  create  in  her  the  ambition  for 
her  son  to  become  the  means  of  introducing  upon  the 
earth  the  conditions  of  happiness  which  she  had  been 
permitted  to  observe.  In  after  years  this  ambition 
was  to  be  her  chief  incentive  to  action,  and  the  pro- 
found impression  was  also  designed  to  be  made  upon 
her  offspring,  so  thai  he  would  be  filled  with  the 
loftiest  desires  of  humanitarianism  and  philanthropy. 
Consequently,  while  the  morning  sessions  in  the  con- 
servatory continued   without  interruption,  they  were 

(245) 


246  LOMA, 

devoted  to  social  intercourse,  music,  and  such  delight- 
ful conversation  as  would  in  no  wise  fatigue,  while 
they  gave  Myrtle  the  opportunity  to  ask  any  question 
which  occurred  to  her. 

The  day  following  the  clairvoyant  vision  of  the  meet- 
ing of  Loma's  lovers  upon  Venus,  she  had,  with  his 
approval,  entered  into  a  compact  of  Love  with  Doctor 
Bell.  As  she  expressed  it,  she  considered  that  the 
compact  of  Brotherhood  had  existed  ever  since  she  had 
been  an  inmate  of  his  home,  and  she  certainly  felt 
that  he  was  entitled  to  a  higher  degree.  Toward  Mrs. 
Bell  her  relations  were  unchanged.  Loma  had  pro- 
nounced the  compact  of  Motherhood,  which  Mrs.  Bell 
had  extended  to  Myrtle  upon  their  first  meeting,  as 
the  highest  and  holiest  that  could  exist,  and  as  there 
were  no  national  educators  upon  the  earth  who  could 
assume  the  education  of  the  future  prophet  and  teacher 
who  was  to  proceed  from  her  womb,  the  compact  of 
Motherhood  was  held  to  be  peculiarly  appropriate. 
Thus  the  social  relations  were  organized,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  many  centuries,  the  correct  relationships 
of  men  and  women  were  resumed  on  the  earth.  I  say 
resumed,  for  Loma  had  explained  that  Jesus  had  es- 
tablished the  same  conditions,  which  he  had  designed 
as  the  permanent  conditions  of  his  associates,  and 
which  did  continue  until  his  admirable  system  was 
destroyed  through  the  machinations  of  priests  and  poli- 
ticians. 

About  one  week  after  his  last  session,  Loma  an- 
nounced that  he  was  ready  to  resume,  and  at  the  next 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  247 

session  in  the  conservatory  Mrs.  Bell  began  the  con- 
versation by  saying: 

"You  have  given  us  a  masterly  exposition  of  the 
origin  of  your  civilization,  and  the  organization  of  so- 
ciety upon  a  better  basis.  You  have  shown  the  superi- 
ority of  your  system  of  education  and  the  regulation 
of  the  domestic  relations,  and  after  the  marvelous 
vision  of  your  consort  and  lovers,  which  we  were  per- 
mitted to  enjoy,  there  is  no  doubt  of  the  grandeur  of 
your  institutions  remaining  in  my  mind.  But  when 
we  begin  to  teach  your  theories  we  will  be  met  with 
the  proposition,  that  it  is  all  impracticable,  and  that 
the  needs  of  the  world  cannot  be  met  without  the 
present  commercial  stimulus.  I  would  like  to  be  in- 
structed as  to  the  way  that  the  necessities  of  life  are 
produced  and  distributed,  and  what  you  use  instead 
of  the  present  system  of  merchandise  and  money.  Our 
reformers  all  concede  that  the  greatest  obstacle  we 
have  to  contend  with  is  our  present  system  of  money 
and  the  measure  and  exchange  of  wealth,  and  the 
system  in  current  use  among  all  civilized  nations  is 
so  unnatural,  that,  as  you  say,  only  those  who  have  a 
superior  development  of  the  financial  sense  can  suc- 
ceed." 

"I  will  cheerfully  comply  with  your  request,"  said 
Loma;  "and  all  the  more  readily  because  the  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  is  comparatively  simple.  The 
only  reason  you  have  not  solved  it  upon  the  earth  is 
because  your  citizens  are  not  working  under  the  law 
of  mathematical   equity.     As  soon  as  you   recognize 


248  LOMA, 

the  true  character  of  wealth,  you  will  have  no  trouble 
in  obtaining  it,  and  when  your  conduct  is  regulated 
by  the  law  of  mathematical  equity,  you  will  have  no 
loss  in  its  distribution.  To  begin  with,  then,  wealth 
does  not  consist  in  the  accumulation  of  property,  nor 
in  the  possession  of  a  medium  of  exchange  which  will 
purchase  property.  A  man  may  have  both  and  still 
be  exceedingly  poor,  as  an  inspection  of  the  true  con- 
dition of  your  so-called  wealthy  citizens  will  imme- 
diately disclose. 

"The  whole  trouble  with  your  financial  system  grows 
out  of  the  universal  misconception  which  your  citizens 
have  of  the  object  of  existence.  Your  citizens  may  be 
divided  into  two  classes.  Those  who  are  entirely  ab- 
sorbed in  making  money  and  accumulating  property, 
and  those  Avho  are  indifferent  to  this  world's  goods, 
and  who  spend  their  time  in  comparative  poverty,  ab- 
sorbed in  religious  or  literary  work,  or  perhaps  in  com- 
plete idleness.  The  first  class  consume  the  years  of 
youth  in  a  mad  struggle  for  wealth,  in  the  hope  of 
reaching  enjoyment  in  the  later  years  of  life.  The 
majority  of  them  die  before  these  years  are  ever 
reached,  and  those  who  do  live  to  an  advanced  age 
find  that  they  have  lost  the  capacity  for  enjoyment. 
The  second  class  lose  much  of  the  development  and 
enjoyment  which  rightfully  belongs  to  them  by  not 
having  the  possession  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Now 
these  conditions  are  bound  to  remain  until  the  citizens 
of  this  world  learn  the  simple  lesson,  that  the  purpose 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  349 

of  life  is  growth  and  enjoyment,  and  that  the  true  defi- 
nition of  wealth  is  the  power  to  gratify  desire. 

"Let  me  illustrate.     A  youth  desires  to  visit  a  for- 
eign country.     He  works  at  a  trade  and  accumulates 
sufficient  money  to  gratify  his  desire.     In  this  case  the 
money  is  wealth.     A  millionaire  desires  to  take  the 
same  journey,  but  is  prevented  by  poor  health.     In  this 
rase  his  money  is  not  wealth,  and  he  is  not,  in  fact, 
as  wealthy  as  the  youth  who,  on  arriving  at  his  jour- 
ney's end,  finds  himself  without  money  but  in  the  pos- 
session  of  enjoyment.     The  millionaire  recovers  and 
makes  the  journey.     His  money  and  his  health  con- 
stitute wealth.     A  chemist  is  anxious  to  try  an  ex- 
periment and  make  a  new  discovery.     He  is  deficient 
in  education,  and  for  lack  of  information  his  experi- 
ment is  a  failure.     He  pursues  a  course  of  study,  fiuds 
the  missing  information,  makes  a  brilliant   perform- 
ance, and  immortalizes  himself.     In  this  case  the  edu- 
cation, giving  the  information,  is  wealth.     From  these 
examples  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  power  to  gratify 
desire  is  wealth.    Now,  on  this  planet,  you  have  created 
conditions  which  deprive  your  citizens  of  all  develop- 
ment, unless  they  can  pay  for  it  in  money.     Services 
are  considered  of  little  account,  and  poorly  paid  Cor 
when  rendered,  hence  your  people  are  under  the  uni- 
versal misapprehension  that  money  is  wealth,  or  prop- 
erty which  can  be  converted  into  money  is  wealth,  be- 
cause it  is  impossible  to  gratify  desire  without  it.     As 
n   consequence  of  this  misapprehension  you  are  all 
miserably   poor,   and   even   your   millionaires  are   not 


250  LOMA, 

wealthy,  for  they  have  no  healthy  standards  of  desire, 
they  do  not  cultivate  enjoyment  intelligently,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  they  have  a  vast  number  of  unnatural  and 
evil  desires  which  cannot  be  satisfied,  and  many  of  their 
best  desires  are  unsatisfied,  because  the  unnatural 
system  under  which  you  are  working  destroys  the 
working  capacity  of  those  who  would  be  able  to  satisfy 
the  natural  desires  of  all  if  they  had  the  opportunity. 
I  will  give  you  a  single  example.  We  will  suppose  the 
case  of  a  millionaire  who  desires  to  gratify  his  friends 
and  himself  with  the  finest  class  of  music.  Now  the 
working  of  your  unfortunate  system  has  deprived  a 
large  number  of  your  citizens  who  have  musical  talent 
of  an  education,  and  their  talent  has  remained  unde- 
veloped. Your  millionaire,  therefore,  finds  that  musi- 
cians are  scarce,  of  the  kind  and  quality  he  desires, 
and  while  a  few  exist,  he  finds  to  his  mortification  that 
they  have  all  been  engaged  by  one  of  his  rivals,  and 
he  is  obliged  to  postpone  his  entertainment  until  they 
can  be  had.  Such  instances  are  constantly  occurring, 
and  disappointment  and  dissatisfaction  is  the  rule, 
even  among  your  wealthy  ones,  and  it  is  probably 
true  that  your  working  classes  are  the  most  wealthy 
after  all,  in  one  sense,  because  their  desires  are  more 
natural  and  more  usually  satisfied. 

"As  soon  as  the  law  of  mathematical  equity  was  in- 
troduced into  our  civilization,  as  I  have  described  to 
you,  a  better  system  was  at  once  evolved.  Our  finan- 
ciers discovered  that  the  true  essence  of  wealth  did 
not  consist  in  the  accumulation  of  vast  aggregations 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  251 

of  property  or  money,  but  in  having  such  a  condition 
in  society  as  would  insure  to  every  citizen  the  greatest 
possible  facilities  for  the  gratification  of  all  natural 
desires.  As  soon  as  this  was  established  in  the  intel- 
ligence of  our  financiers,  they  went  about  producing  it. 
It  naturally  followed  that  they  discovered  that  the 
only  way  to  secure  it  for  themselves  was  to  make  it 
the  universal  rule  of  society,  and  that  the  only  way 
to  secure  it  for  all  was  by  the  introduction  of  a  com- 
plete education  for  every  citizen,  and  the  application 
of  the  rule  of  absolute  and  universal  justice,  Avhich 
secured  for  every  citizen  his  share  in  the  common- 
wealth, irrespective  of  his  own  financial  ability. 

"You  will  remember,  that,  by  the  operation  of  the 
new  system,  as  I  have  already  described,  the  actual 
labor  required  in  society  was  reduced  at  least  nine- 
tenths,  and  that  the  working  hours  of  all  of  our  citi- 
zens were  reduced  to  four  hours  per  day.  This  in 
itself  made  a  vast  difference  in  the  condition  of  our 
citizens,  and  gave  them  a  wealth  of  time,  which  is 
the  first  element  in  the  gratification  of  any  desire.  I 
have  also  explained  to  you  that  there  was  an  immense 
increase  in  the  productive  capacity  of  the  workers  by 
the  improvements  in  machinery  and  every  element  of 
production,  which  was  still  further  greatly  increased 
by  the  extension  of  education  to  every  citizen,  and  by 
the  fact,  that  he  had  time  to  improve  himself  and  his 
working  capacity.  You  can  readily  understand,  there- 
fore, that  every  community  soon  found  itself  sur- 
charged with  everything  that  was  necessary  for  the 


252  LOMA, 

gratification  of  the  desires  of  its  citizens.  As  no  one 
was  interested  in  holding  these  productions  for  any 
market,  they  were,  of  course,  at  the  disposal  of  any 
citizen  who  had  a  desire  to  be  satisfied.  All  that  was 
necessary  to  be  done  was  to  appoint  an  administrative 
force,  which  preserved  the  property  and  saw  that  it 
was  given  in  good  condition,  and  then  every  citizen 
was  at  liberty  to  help  himself.  You  will  observe,  that 
the  source  of  supply  was  the  government,  and  that  a 
citizen  was  not  expected  to  appropriate  the  property 
of  another  citizen.  There  was  no  reason  why  he  should 
do  so,  for  he  could  obtain  anything  he  wanted  at  the 
government  bureaus.  For  instance,  if  a  citizen  of 
Venus  decides  that  he  wishes  to  establish  a  home,  he 
goes  to  the  government  bureau  of  real  estate  and  states 
his  desire,  and  he  selects  whatever  location  he  wishes 
that  is  not  already  occupied.  He  is  not  permitted  to 
occupy  any  more  ground  than  he  can  use  to  a  good 
advantage  and  keep  in  excellent  condition.  He  states 
in  his  application  the  kind  of  an  establishment  he  de- 
sires to  maintain,  and  if  his  request  is  in  accord  with 
equity  and  decency,  he  has  everything  furnished  to 
him  in  short  order.  The  house  is  built  as  he  desires 
it,  and  he  calls  on  the  various  bureaus  for  the  furnish- 
ings. He  is  permitted  to  own  these  things  and  enjoy 
them  as  long  as  he  lives  and  makes  use  of  them.  If 
he  abandons  them,  or  if  he  dies,  the  property  reverts 
to  the  government,  and  such  as  is  valuable  is  pre- 
served, and  everything  which  is  not  valuable  is  de- 
stroyed.    The  law  of  mathematical  equity,  which  is 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  253 

such  an  important   part  of  every  citizen's  education, 
regulates  his  desires,  aud  he  is  not  likely  to  ask  for 
anything  which  is  unreasonable.     In  fact,  this  system 
is  its  own  great  regulator,  for  as  soon  as  a  man  finds 
that  he  can  gratify  his  desires  at  will,  he  does  not 
encumber  himself  with  a  great  deal  of  property.     Most 
of  our  citizens  live  in  the  government  hotels,  which 
are  excellently  conducted,  aud  very  few  require  more 
than  two  rooms.     There  are  some  who  prefer  to  reside 
in  one  place  nearly  all  of  their  lives,  but  the  most  of 
us  are  migratory,  especially  after  the  years  of  profes- 
sional service,  and  so  there  is  not  much  demand  for 
permanent  homes.     The  introduction   of  this   system 
completely  destroyed  the  production  of  large  cities. 
The  crowding  together  of  so  uiauy  persons,  and  the 
inconvenience  and  misery  which  is  so  noticeable  in  all 
of  your  large  cities,  was  abolished.     Instead,  the  pop- 
ulation was  distributed  over  a  large  area,  and  as  we 
soon  developed  the  most  excellent  facilities  for  trans- 
portation, there  was  no  necessity  for  anything  of  the 
kind.     The  country  was  divided  into  townships,  and  in 
each  of  these  a  government  storehouse  was  established, 
which  supplied  every  article  of  merchandise,  in  the 
very  best  quality,  to  every  citizen  upon  demand.     The 
distribution  of  food  and  all  of  the  necessities  of  life 
being  done  without  competition,  there  was  no  neces- 
sity  for   the   multitudinous   stores    and    trade   shops 
which  cumber  your  cities  and  pollute  the  atmosphere 
with  decay.    As  a  large  majority  of  our  citizens  are 
under  the  direct  jurisdiction  of  the  government  dur- 


254  LOMA. 

ing  the  three  first  decades  of  education,  and  the  fourth 
decade  which  is  devoted  to  the  professional  employ- 
ment, and  the  mothers  and  most  of  the  fathers  are 
quartered  in  the  palaces  of  maternity,  under  the  same 
jurisdiction,  you  see  that  the  supply  of  necessities  is 
carried  on  with  the  same  perfection  that  your  country 
would  supply  as  many  soldiers,  only  that  the  soldiers 
are  provided  with  the  best  of  everything,  which  is  not 
the  case  in  your  army.  Our  people  are  not  engaged 
in  commerce,  and  the  most  that  there  is  to  do  in  the 
management  of  the  problem  of  supply,  is  to  provide 
food,  education,  house  room  and  fine  sanitary  condi- 
tions for  our  people,  and  the  rest  of  the  problem  is 
simply  how  to  produce  the  most  enjoyment,  which  is 
left  to  the  intelligence  of  the  people,  after  they  are 
properly  educated,  and  they  have  no  difficulty  in  solv- 
ing it." 

"The  trouble  would  be,  on  the  earth,  if  such  a  system 
could  be  introduced,  that  the  criminal  classes  would 
be  rampant,  and  there  would  be  no  means  of  con- 
trolling them  from  appropriating  the  best  of  every- 
thing," said  Doctor  Bell.  "The  great  majority  of  our 
citizens  are  only  held  to  good  conduct  by  the  pressure 
of  poverty,  and  if  they  could  gratify  their  desires  at 
will,  as  you  say  your  citizens  do,  they  would  plunge 
into  every  form  of  dissipation.  How  do  you  prevent 
this  on  Venus?" 

"Such  a  system  cannot  be  introduced  until  the  peo- 
ple are  prepared  for  it  by  education,"  answered  Loma. 
"You  must  remember  that  we  did  not  reaeh  our  pres- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  255 

cut  liberties  by  a  single  bound,  but  that  they  are  the 
natural  consequence  of  the  application  of  the  great 
principles  of  Gallheiin's  code.  You  must  first  com- 
prehend the  nature  of  man,  then  you  must  study  each 
individual  and  improve  him,  then  the  great  principle 
of  the  improvement  of  the  race  must  be  made  the  pa- 
triotic duty  of  every  citizen,  and  then,  when  you  have 
produced  a  generation  of  good  men  and  women  by  this 
obedience  to  natural  law,  they  will  be  able  to  learn  the 
law  of  mathematical  equity  and  follow  it.  It  would  be 
impossible  for  you  to  take  a  collection  of  Chicago  busi- 
ness men  and  teach  them  the  law  of  mathematical 
equity.  They  might  be  able  to  comprehend  the  prin- 
ciple involved,  but  they  would  not  live  up  to  it,  for  their 
entire  discipline  up  to  this  time  has  been  against  it. 
They  have  been  taught  to  violate  equity  all  the  time, 
and  the  one  who  could  violate  it  in  the  shrewdest  way 
and  make  the  most  money  by  so  doing,  without  laying 
himself  liable  to  indictment  for  positive  crime,  has 
been  the  most  applauded.  But  if  the  children  of  these 
same  business  men  were  educated  to  a  full  comprehen- 
sion of  the  law,  and  were  made  to  understand  the  prac- 
tical application  of  it,  and  they  were  made  to  compre- 
hend that  the  possession  of  wealth,  social  position, 
beauty  and  happiness  depended  upon  the  observation 
of  the  law,  you  would  have  an  altogether  different  set 
of  conditions,  and  there  would  be  a  marked  improve- 
ment in  the  conduct  of  the  young  generation,  as  com- 
pared with  the  old. 

"The  vitality  of  our  system,  however,  depends  upon 


256  LOMA, 

the  fact,  that  we  constantly  appeal  to  the  strongest 
faculties  of  all  of  our  citizens,  to  induce  them  to  obey 
the  law.  Under  your  system,  you  appeal  only  to  the 
fear  of  poverty  and  the  sense  of  commercial  value. 
Our  citizens  learn  in  early  youth  that  all  of  their  wants 
will  be  supplied,  and  all  that  is  required  of  them  is  to 
reach  the  highest  form  of  culture.  Now,  the  desire  for 
personal  beauty  and  the  love  of  applause  are  two  of 
the  strongest  incentives  to  human  action.  There  is 
hardly  a  young  man  or  woman  in  the  world  who  is  in- 
different to  personal  appearance,  and  the  desire  to  be 
considered  beautiful,  and  to  stand  well  in  society,  is  a 
ruling  passion  even  on  this  earth,  where  the  principles 
of  right  living  are  so  little  understood.  Now,  if  you 
convince  the  young  man  or  woman,  that,  by  conform- 
ing to  a  certain  law  of  propriety,  they  can  achieve  both 
of  these  desires,  and  they  see  the  results  of  obedience 
in  the  beauty  and  acknowledged  excellence  of  their 
associates,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  believe  that  a 
strong  effort  will  be  made  to  obey  the  law.  Now  add 
to  these  strong  motives  the  knowledge  which  is  im- 
parted by  our  complete  system  of  education,  and  you 
will  see,  at  once,  that  the  attainment  of  the  excellence 
which  I  have  described  is  not  only  practicable  but  ex- 
tremely easy." 

"I  can  readily  understand  how,  in  each  township, 
these  regulations  can  be  carried  into  effect,  where 
every  citizen  is  known  and  his  right  to  an  establish- 
ment in  the  commonwealth  is  proved.  But  I  have  not 
yet  comprehended  how  you  manage  the  matter  with 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VIONTS.  257 

strangers.  Suppose  that  tins  system  were  uow  in 
force  here,  and  our  citizens  were  advanced  sufficiently 
in  education  to  practice  it,  how  can  a  citizen  of  Chicago 
go  to  New  York,  where  he  is  not  known,  and  be  recog- 
nized as  having  a  right  to  his  entertainment?  How 
do  you  prevent  your  different  communities  from  being 
imposed  upon?"  asked  Myrtle. 

"The  habitable  portions  of  our  globe  are  divided  into 
states,  about  the  size  of  the  state  of  Illinois,"  said 
Loma,  "and  these  states  into  counties  and  townships, 
very  much  as  you  have  them  here.  This  is  only  a  mat- 
ter of  convenience  for  the  administration  of  justice,  for 
the  whole  world  is  governed  in  the  same  way,  and  we 
have  adopted  the  same  language  and  social  customs. 
Until  a  citizen  is  forty  years  of  age,  his  duties  confine 
him  necessarily  to  his  own  state,  to  a  great  extent,  ex- 
cept when  he  goes  upon  an  excursion  on  leave  of  ab- 
sence. But  the  limitation  of  population,  as  practiced 
upon  Venus,  makes  it  possible  for  our  officials  to  keep 
an  accurate  record  of  every  citizen,  and  his  stage  of 
development  and  personal  appearance.  Every  citizen 
is  numbered,  according  to  his  class  and  place  where  he 
resides.  In  this  way,  the  officials  of  every  state  are 
able  to  be  responsible  for  the  identity  and  standing  of 
every  citizen.  Here,  again,  you  have  an  example  of 
the  inestimable  value  of  a  complete  education  and  the 
law  of  mathematical  equity.  We  have  no  criminals, 
and  we  have  no  citizens  who  would  be  guilty  of  an  at- 
tempt to  defraud.  Each  citizen  starts  right  when  he 
leaves   his   mother's   breast   and   becomes   subject   to 

17 


258  LOMA, 

the  jurisdiction  which  is  to  educate  and  protect  him 
through  life.  As  a  consequence,  such  a  thing  as  a  citi- 
zen attempting  to  defraud  any  sister  community  is  un- 
heard of.  There  is  no  necessity  for  it,  for  he  can  ob 
tain  everything  he  desires  in  a  perfectly  legitimate 
manner.  To  insure  his  protection,  however,  and  for 
the  identification  of  his  body  in  case  of  accident  or 
death,  each  citizen  has  his  number  and  the  place  of  his 
birth  indelibly  placed  upon  his  body,  under  his  right 
arm."  And  Loma  lifted  his  right  arm  from  his  side 
and  displayed  a  small  tattoo  mark  of  the  figures  2 — 8 
—124—35. 

"These  figures  I  will  translate  as  follows,"  said 
Loma.  "The  figure  2  stands  for  the  state  of  my  birth, 
the  figure  8  for  the  township,  124  is  my  number,  which 
means  that  my  birth  was  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
fourth  which  had  occurred  in  that  township  that  year, 
which  is  indicated  by  the  last  number,  as  the  thirty- 
fifth  year  of  the  present  century,  according  to  our  cal- 
endar, which,  of  course,  does  not  agree  with  yours.  By 
these  numbers  and  the  careful  record  which  has  been 
kept  of  every  important  event  in  my  career,  it  is  easy 
enough  to  identify  me  at  any  place  on  the  globe.  The 
date  of  my  birth  being  known,  the  officials  of  any  com- 
munity know  about  what  stage  of  my  development  I 
represent,  and  my  claims,  of  course,  would  have  to  cor- 
respond. If  there  was  any  attempt  on  my  part  to  be 
absent  from  my  duties  at  home,  my  absence  would  at 
once  be  noted,  and  my  number  would  be  advertised 
through  the  official  gazettes  throughout  the  world.    In 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  259 

the  absence  of  such  a  notice,  the  officials  of  the  various 
states  take  no  notice  of  the  passage  of  a  stranger 
through  their  jurisdictions,  as  the  presumption  is  that 
he  is  entitled  to  all  that  he  claims.  Here  we  have  a 
chance  to  cultivate  hospitality  as  it  is  altogether  un- 
known on  the  earth.  The  moment  a  stranger  appears 
at  one  of  the  government  hotels  in  any  state,  and  reg- 
isters as  hailing  from  another,  he  is  at  once  made  the 
recipient  of  every  possible  social  courtesy.  Every  state 
has  a  local  pride  in  its  hospitality,  and  the  possibility 
of  a  stranger  being  snubbed  or  neglected  is  not  to  be 
thought  of.  As  soon  as  he  introduces  himself,  and  in- 
dicates his  desires,  every  facility  is  placed  at  his  dis- 
posal. Of  course,  by  consulting  the  official  gazette, 
his  social  standing  is  at  once  known,  and  he  is  ex- 
pected to  maintain  his  reputation.  Therefore,  to  an- 
swer your  question,  if  a  citizen  of  Chicago'  were  to  go 
to  New  York  under  the  conditions  which  prevail  upon 
Venus,  he  would  be  very  likely  to  have  such  a  delight- 
ful experience  as  one  of  your  citizens  at  present  could 
scarcely  comprehend." 

"This  is  great!"  exclaimed  Doctor  Bell.  "I  attended 
the  triennial  conclave  of  the  Knights  Templar,  with  my 
commandery,  at  Boston,  the  month  before  you  arrived 
on  this  earth,  and  I  thought  then  we  had  a  delightful 
experience  in  the  hospitality  of  that  cultured  city,  but 
I  imagine  that  your  civilization  could  teach  us  much 
we  do  not  know  in  this  direction." 

"I  took  a  similar  excursion  upon  Venus,  about  the 
same  time,"  said  Loma,  "and  T  will  describe  it  to  vou 


260  LOMA, 

and  let  you  compare  the  entertainment.  The  occasion 
was  the  meeting  of  the  Association  of  Scientists  for 
the  Promotion  of  Inter-Planetary  Correspondence,  of 
which  I  am  a  member,  and  which  numbers  something 
over  thirty  thousand  members.  We  met  at  the  city  of 
Delicia,  which  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe 
from  the  city  of  my  residence.  Our  transportation 
was  effected  in  air-ships,  which  are  in  common  use  on 
Venus,  and  which  are  sumptuously  furnished  beyond 
anything  }ou  have  here.  Of  course,  this  was  all  fur- 
nished by  the  government  of  our  respective  states,  but 
when  we  arrived  at  Delicia,  we  were  royally  enter- 
tained, for  a  whole  month,  by  the  citizens  without  any 
expense  to  us.  Everything  we  could  use  was  bounti- 
fully provided,  and  in  the  fullest  sense  we  niade  our- 
selves at  home.  Now,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  the 
people  of  Boston  felt  that  they  were  giving  you  a  splen- 
did example  of  hospitality  when  they  permitted  you 
to  come  on  their  ground  and  exist  without  raising  the 
hotel  prices  beyond  the  usual  schedule,  and  it  is  hardly 
unjust  to  say  that  the  chief  reason  which  actuated 
their  committee  in  securing  the  conclave  for  Boston 
was  the  large  amount  of  money  which  would  be  spent 
by  the  knights  during  their  sojourn  in  the  city.  Now, 
such  an  example  as  that  would  be  regarded  on  Venus 
as  anything  but  hospitality.  Such  a  condition  of 
things  would  not  be  tolerated  for  an  instant  in  any 
of  our  states,  and  any  city  which  would  make  an 
effort  to  secure  visitors  for  the  hope  of  pecuniary  gain 
would  be  ostracised  from  the  social  compact,   until 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  261 

such  time  as  it  reformed  its  methods,  and  the 
officials  of  such  a  city  would  be  forever  disgraced. 
Under  our  system,  such  a  thing  could  not  occur. 

"But  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  our  institutions  are 
shown  in  our  treatment  of  those  who  have  faithfully 
served  their  time  and  have  reached  the  age  of  forty 
years.  After  that  age,  the  citizen  is  master  of  his  own 
time  and  he  can  gratify  any  of  the  desires  of  his  na- 
ture. He  is  bound  by  no  law  but  that  of  decency,  and 
his  education  has  been  so  complete  that  he  is  not  only 
certain  to  behave  himself,  but  he  has  developed  the 
capacity  for  enjoyment.  Wherever  he  goes,  he  is  made 
the  recipient  of  the  most  delightful  social  courtesies, 
and  life  becomes  a  poem  of  pleasure.  He  has  earned 
his  living  and  his  honors,  and  the  closing  years  of  his 
life  are  absolutely  free  from  care  and  anxiety.  Under 
such  conditions  enjoyment  is  possible,  and  the  young 
citizen  who  witnesses  the  delights  of  the  old  is  stim- 
ulated constantly  to  the  emulation  of  their  virtues.'' 

"There  is  one  objection  which  is  constantly  urged  by 
the  opponents  of  socialism  to  this  class  of  reform," 
said  Mrs.  Bell,  "upon  which  I  would  like  to  have  the 
benefit  of  your  experience.  It  is  urged  that  it  will  be 
impossible  for  any  one  to  be  persuaded  to  adopt  that 
class  of  work  which  is  now  considered  menial.  It  is 
conceded  that,  if  there  were  nothing  but  the  profes- 
sional employments  to  be  considered,  the  adjustment 
might  be  made.  But  under  the  new  system,  which 
contemplates  a  just  division  of  labor,  who  is  to  per- 
form the  disagreeable  tasks?" 


262  LOMA, 

"Most  of  the  difficulty  comes  from  the  conception 
which  has  been  implanted  in  the  minds  of  your  citi- 
zens by  your  social  customs,  that  certain  kinds  of  em- 
ployment are  degrading,  because,  being  in  a  manner 
disagreeable,  these  occupations  have  been  assigned  to 
slaves  and  those  who  by  poverty  were  obliged  to  serve 
as  slaves.  This  is  merely  a  product  of  human  selfish- 
ness. Under  our  system  all  of  this  is  changed.  It  is 
considered  just  as  honorable  to  wait  upon  the  table 
at  a  government  hotel  as  it  is  to  write  the  records  in 
a  government  office.  All  labor  is  honorable,  and  if 
any  task  occurs  which  is  disagreeable,  it  is  consid- 
ered all  the  more  honorable  on  that  account,  because 
it  involves  a  certain  amount  of  self-sacrifice,  and  those 
persons  who  devote  themselves  to  its  performance  are 
rewarded  by  a  higher  degree  of  social  standing,  on 
account  of  the  nature  of  the  work.  Every  citizen  is 
credited  with  a  certain  number  of  marks  of  merit  for 
his  services,  and  if  there  is  any  work  to  be  done  which 
is  specially  disagreeable  or  dangerous,  there  is  a  higher 
credit  allowed.  The  result  is,  that  the  government 
has  no  dearth  of  applications  for  that  kind  of  employ- 
ment, because  it  offers  the  shortest  and  quickest  ave- 
nue to  social  preferment.  To  make  this  more  plain,  I 
will  show  you  how  I  have  added  materially  to  my  own 
standing.  In  my  profession  as  a  scientist,  I  receive 
one  thousand  marks  annually  for  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  my  duties.  I  received  this  emolument  ten 
years  as  an  apprentice  and  five  years  as  a  professor, 
which  would  entitle  me  to  fifteen  thousand  marks.    But 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  263 

during  my  apprenticeship  I  also  served  as  a  volunteer 
laborer  in  the  construction  of  one  of  our  large  ship 
canals.  I  did  this  partly  for  the  physical  development 
it  gave  me,  in  working  in  the  excavations  two  hours 
per  day,  but  during  that  time  I  earned  in  two  years 
eight  hundred  additional  marks.  I  was  awarded  sev- 
enteen hundred  marks  one  day  for  saving  the  life  of 
a  fellow  laborer  under  dangerous  circumstances,  and 
during  my  professional  career  of  five  years,  I  have  in- 
creased my  regular  emolument  to  the  extent  of  three 
thousand  and  four  hundred  marks.  This  gives  me  a  pres- 
ent professional  standing  of  twenty  thousand  and  nine 
hundred  marks,  which  is  considered  a  highly  credita- 
ble record,  and  if  I  pleased,  when  I  reached  the  number 
of  twenty  thousand,  which  would  represent  the  re- 
quired earnings  of  two  decades,  I  could  have  applied 
for  a  discharge  and  I  would  have  been  released,  the 
same  as  I  will  be  by  operation  of  time  when  I  reach 
the  age  of  forty.  But  I  preferred  to  remain  in  the 
professional  ranks,  as  most  of  our  citizens  do,  and  if 
I  am  successful  in  my  present  undertaking,  I  will  be 
enrolled  among  the  members  of  the  Academy  of  Heroes. 
Those  who  reach  this  distinction  are  no  longer  graded. 
The  social  number  is  lost  in  the  brilliancy  of  the 
achievement,  and  it  is  the  highest  honor  to  which  a 
citizen  of  Venus  can  attain,  that  no  figures  appear 
opposite  his  name  in  the  official  gazette." 

"What  special  advantage  is  it,  to  have  a  high  social 
standing,  in  a  world  where  all  the  citizens  have  so 
many  privileges?"  asked  Myrtle. 


264  LOMA, 

"The  principal  advantage  is  the  satisfaction  which 
conies  from  being  the  object  of  the  admiration  of  our 
fellow  citizens.  This  is  always  one  of  the  strongest 
incentives  to  human  activity,  but  while  your  citizens 
seek  this  admiration  by  accumulating  wealth  and  by 
displaj^  in  dress,  our  citizens  have  no  means  of 
obtaining  it  except  by  good  conduct.  Of  course,  the 
possession  of  a  high  degree  of  social  standing  entitles 
the  citizen  to  special  favor  at  all  public  functions,  and 
at  the  theaters  and  places  of  amusement  the  matter 
of  social  position  is  important,  if  the  occasion  is  a 
formal  one.  There  is  a  marked  difference  in  our 
formal  and  informal  occasions.  At  the  former,  the 
utmost  attention  is  paid  to  rendering  great  respect  to 
those  who  are  entitled  to  it  by  reason  of  a  distin- 
guished record.  At  the  informal  occasions,  however, 
all  of  this  is  disregarded,  and  the  genius  who  has  been 
enrolled  in  the  Academy  of  Heroes  associates  on  the 
same  level  with  the  youngest  member  of  the  profes- 
sional ranks.  In  this  way  the  young  receive  the  en- 
couragement of  those  who  have  distinguished  them- 
selves, by  intimate  association,  while  due  honor  is  ren- 
dered at  the  proper  time.  In  the  fullest  sense,  our 
people  have  learned  to  do  everything  decently  and  in 
order." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


IMMORALITIES    OP    CHRISTIANITY. 

"Woo  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for  ye 
are  like  unto  whited  sepulchers,  which  indeed  appear  beautiful 
without,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all 
uncleanness." 

"What!    Shall  I  call  on  that  infinite  lovo  that  has  served  us  so  well? 
Infinite  wickedness,  rather,  that  made  everlasting  hell! 
Made  us,  foreknew  us,  foredoomed  us,  and  does  what  he  will  with  his 

own? 
Better  our  dead  brute  mother  who  never  has  beard  us  groan! 
The  god  of  love  and  hell  together,  they  can  not  be  thought. 
If  there  be  such  a  god  may  the  great  God  curse  him  and  bring  him 

to   naught. 
Blasphemy?    I  have  scared  you  pale  with  my  scandalous  talk; 
But  the  blasphemy  to  my  mind  is  all  in  the  way  you  walk." 

Since  the  reconciliation  of  Myrtle  and  her  uncle,  the 
latter  had  been  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  residence  of 
the  Bells.  Myrtle  had  also  been  made  happy  by  fre- 
quent visits  from  her  aunt,  his  sister,  and  many  tokens 
of  their  love  were  received  by  the  young  mother  as 
the  time  for  her  approaching  parturition  drew  near. 
Mr.  McDonald,  when  stripped  of  the  crust  of  phari- 
seeism  which  had  hitherto  obscured  his  virtues,  was 
in  reality  a  most  liberal  and  genial  man.  He  became 
devotedly  attached  to  Doctor  Bell,  but  he  regarded 
Loma  with  respectful  awe,  for  he  was  sufficiently  acute 
to  know  that  the  latter  was  the  most  extraordinary 
man  he  had  ever  met,  and  while  he  had  not  been  taken 

(266) 


266  LOMA, 

into  confidence  as  to  the  origin  of  the  citizen  of  Venus, 
he  was  quite  sure  that  he  was  not  merely  a  cultivated 
and  scholarly  physician.  He  had  a  strong  element  of 
the  superstitious  in  his  nature,  and  was  inclined  to 
regard  Loma  as  a  genius  gifted  with  supernatural 
power. 

No  attempt  had  been  made  by  either  Loma  or  Doctor 
Bell  to  engage  him  in  conversation  in  regard  to  re: 
ligion.  He  spent  most  of  his  time  when  calling  in  the 
parlor  with  the  ladies,  or  in  the  library  in  friendly  con- 
versation with  the  doctor,  who  always  encouraged  him 
to  make  himself  completely  at  home.  Mr.  McDonald 
was  a  gifted  conversationalist,  and  being  of  pure 
Scotch  blood,  he  was  not  wanting  in  wit  and  pungency 
in  his  remarks.  He  had  been  educated  for  the  min- 
istry of  the  Presbyterian  church,  but  having  a  stronger 
taste  for  commerce,  and  having  inherited  a  large  for- 
tune, which  he  had  been  shrewd  enough  to  greatly  in- 
crease, he  had  engaged  in  banking,  and  was  at  the 
time  the  president  of  one  of  the  leading  national  banks 
of  Chicago. 

One  day,  when  at  the  pressing  invitation  of  Mrs. 
Bell  he  had  remained  to  dine  with  the  family,  the  con- 
versation accidentally  turned  upon  religion.  When 
the  subject  was  mentioned,  he  turned  rather  abruptly 
to  Doctor  Bell  and  remarked: 

"I  am  anxious  to  be  instructed  in  the  elements  of 
the  religion  you  profess.  When  I  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  you,  I  was  told  you  were  all  atheists, 
which  was  at  that  time  sufficient  to  fill  me  wiih  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  267 

greatest  aversion,  and  I  would  not  have  considered 
you  capable  of  any  good  action.  But  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances which  have  resulted  in  compelling  me  to 
know  you  better  have  forced  upon  me  the  conviction 
that  you  are  animated  by  a  spirit  of  benevolence  and 
goodness  which  is  stronger  than  I  have  experienced 
elsewhere.  Until  I  became  acquainted  with  the  mem- 
bers of  this  family,  I  did  not  believe  that  any  person 
could  be  good  who  was  not  a  Christian.  With  the 
people  of  my  religious  belief,  Christianity  and  good- 
ness are  synonymous,  and  we  have  come  to  believe  that 
all  goodness  has  originated  in  Christianity." 

"We  believed  even  more  than  that,  uncle,"  said  Myr- 
tle, smiling,  "for  in  Sunday  school  I  have  often  heard  the 
teachers  say,  that  all  the  goodness  which  was  pos- 
sessed by  people  who  were  not  Christians  was  ab- 
sorbed by  them,  in  a  manner,  from  those  who  were.v 

"True,  my  child,"  said  her  uncle,  thoughtfully.  "I, 
myself,  have  made  statements  to  my  class  which 
amounted  to  the  same  thing.  But  more  serious  con- 
sideration has  caused  me  to  reconsider  that  decision. 
There  have  been  good  men  in  nations  who  have  not 
heard  of  Christianity,  and  there  must  be  some  other 
source  of  human  righteousness.  At  all  events  I  am 
now  liberal  enough  to  hear  both  sides,  and  while  I 
would  be  loth  to  surrender  the  inestimable  benefits  of 
the  Christian  religion,  I  am  willing  to  learn.  I  am 
sure  of  one  thing,  and  that  is,  the  Christian  churches 
of  to-day  are  no1  doing  their  duty.    We  have  relapsed 


268  LOMA, 

into  a  formalism  which  destroys  the  spirit  of  the  gos- 
pel to  a  great  degree." 

"I  would  be  unwilling  to  force  upon  you  a  discus- 
sion which  might  be  distasteful  to  you,"  said  Doctor 
Bell;  "but  if  you  are  inclined  to  listen  to  a  complete 
exposition  of  what  we  regard  as  the  immoralities  of 
Christianity,  I  am  quite  sure  that  our  brother  Loma 
will  take  pleasure  in  considering  them  for  the  benefit 
of  us  all." 

"Immoralities!  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  Chris- 
tianity is  immoral?  I  have  often  heard  it  arraigned 
as  lax  and  the  churches  criticised  for  their  want  of 
zeal,  but  I  have  never  met  any  one  who  s  so  bold  as 
to  say  that  Christianity  was  immoral." 

"I  suggested  that  the  discussion  would  possibly  uot 
be  pleasing  to  you,  and  if  you  please,  we  will  drop  the 
subject,  for  it  is  a  principle  with  us  to  allow  every  one 
to  enjoy  his  religious  convictions  unmolested." 

"I  am  not  a  bigot,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  with  dignity; 
"and,  as  I  said  before,  I  am  anxious  to  be  informed. 
If  you  can  show  that  Christianity  is  immoral,  I  would 
abandon  Christianity  at  once.  I  do  not  think  you  can 
do  so,  and  I  will  not  be  offended  at  you  if  you  will 
speak  freely  and  defend  your  remarkable  doctrines  to 
the  utmost.  You  will,  of  course,  allow  me  the  freedom 
of  questioning  you?" 

"Certainly,"  said  Loma.  "If  we  go  into  this  discus- 
sion at  all,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  have  you  propound 
any  question  you  desire.  I  shall  speak  plainly,  as  I 
desire  Myrtle  to  be  impressed  with  what  I  shall  say. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


269 


But  I  wish  you  to  be  clear  as  to  my  position.  I  shall 
not.  claim  that  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  immoral,  for 
he  derived  his  authority  from  the  same  school  from 
which  I  claim  mine.  By  'Christianity'  in  this  discussion 
we  will  understand  the  doctrines  which  are  agreed 
upon  by  the  so-called  'orthodox'  churches,  as  consti- 
tuting the  plan  of  salvation,  through  the  atonement  of 
Jesus." 

"That  is  well  understood,"  said  Mr.  McDonald. 
"Now,  let  us  see  if  we  can  agree  upon  a  substantial 
statement   of   those   doctrines,"   said    Loma.      "I   will 
formulate  them  into  propositions,  as  follows: 

"First — That  there  is  one  God,  composed  of  three 
persons,  a  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  jointly  con- 
stituting the  Creator  of  the  universe  and  originating 
all  good,  who  is  omnipotent  and  omniscient. 

"Second — That  there  is  an  arch-fiend,  called  Satan, 
who  originates  all  evil,  and  constantly  wars  with  the 
triune  God,  besides  vexing  men  to  evil  deeds. 

"Third — That  there  is  a  place  called  heaven,  the  res- 
idence of  the  triune  God,  and  a  place  called  hell,  the 
residence  of  Satan.  That  those  persons  who  believe 
on  the  Son  will  eventually  be  taken  to  heaven  to  re- 
side there  eternally,  enjoying  eternal  happiness,  while 
those  who  do  not  believe  will  eventually  be  consigned 
to  hell,  to  suffer  endless  torment.  That  the  sole  con- 
dition of  salvation  is  belief  on  the  Son,  who  is  usually 
called  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  is  identical  with  the 
man  Jesus  who  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Pal- 
estine, nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago. 


270  LOMA, 

"Fourth — That  man,  by  reason  of  innate  depravity, 
had  become  wholly  alienated  from  God,  and  because 
of  his  natural  tendency  to  sin,  was  guilty  of  a  form  of 
depravity  which  justified  his  eternal  punishment  in 
hell.  That  to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  Father,  the 
Son  came  down  to  earth  and  was  incarnate  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  proclaimed  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  through  his  death,  and  did  actually 
suffer  and  die,  to  appease  the  wrath  of  his  Father,  and 
by  his  sufferings  and  death,  made  such  a  sacrifice,  that 
the  wrath  of  the  Father  was  appeased  toward  all  those 
persons  who  would  thereafter  believe  on  the  Son. 

"Fifth — That  this  sole  condition  of  salvation,  viz., 
belief  on  the  Son,  applies  to  all  men  that  have  been 
born  since  the  atonement  of  Jesus  was  made,  and  will 
apply  to  all  future  generations.  That  the  substantial 
requirements  of  this  belief  are,  that  Jesus  died,  rose 
again  miraculously  from  the  dead,  that  he  returned  to 
heaven,  that  he  is  God,  and  that  this  belief  will,  when 
conscientiously  followed,  secure  for  the  believer  a  resi- 
dence in  heaven  after  death. 

"Is  this  a  fair  statement  of  the  essentials?" 

"I  do  not  see  that  you  have  omitted  any  important 
doctrine  that  is  considered  essential  to  salvation.*' 

"Very  well.  Now  I  will  state  my  reasons  for  con- 
sidering the  doctrines  immoral.  Before  I  do  so,  how- 
ever, I  will  define  immorality.  That  is  moral  which 
conduces  to  the  understanding  and  practice  of  the 
truth.  Whatever  tends  to  teach  untruth,  or  which  will 
stupefy  the  intellect  of  man  so  that  he  will  not  be  able 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENDS.  271 

to  understand  the  truth  when  it  is  presented  to  him, 
is  immoral.  Immorality  is  therefore  that  quality  of  a 
doctrine,  action  or  thing  which  causes  it  to  work  an 
injury  instead  of  a  benefit." 

"I  will  agree  to  that  definition,"  said  Mr.  McDonald, 
promptly. 

"The  first  proof  of  the  immorality  of  this  creed," 
said  Loma,  "is  found  in  its  being  contradictory  in  its 
statements.  Passing  over  the  doctrine  of  the  trinity, 
and  supposing  that  it  is  capable  of  being  explained  on 
the  basis  of  a  partnership,  or  some  form  of  association 
of  its  members,  the  second  and  first  positions  are  hope- 
lessly irreconcilable,  because  if  the  triune  God  is  om- 
nipotent and  omniscient,  and  he  permits  the  existence 
of  Satan,  he  thereby  becomes  particcps  cri minis  in  the 
origin  of  evil,  and  Satan  becomes  one  of  the  quartette 
of  gods,  and  by  no  means  the  least  important  member. 
Your  omnipotent,  all-wise  Creator  is  thus  shown  to 
be  the  Arch-Conspirator  against  human  happiness,  and 
directly  responsible  for  all  the  evil  that  exists.  Now. 
this  is  an  absurdity,  and  hence  a  doctrine  which  re- 
quires the  intelligence  of  man  to  accept  that  which  is 
logically  absurd,  trains  his  intellect  against  sound  rea- 
son, and  unfits  him  for  the  reception  and  understand- 
ing of  the  truth  when  it  is  presented  to  him." 

"But  may  we  not  believe,"  interrupted  Mr.  McDonald, 
"that  God  permits  the  existence  of  evil  for  a  purpose 
we  may  not  be  able  to  understand?" 

"Not  when  our  own  salvation  depends  on  the  condi- 
tions here  stated.    We  are  required  to  believe  on  the 


272  LOMA, 

Son,  who  is  presented  to  our  comprehension  as  one 
form  of  this  God,  and  whose  mission  is  to  lead  us  into 
a  perfect  state.  We  are  required  to  believe  that  God 
is  good.  Now,  if  the  creed  presents  him  to  us  as  a  par- 
ticipant in  evil,  we  are  thereby  led  to  believe  that  it 
is  consistent  with  perfect  righteousness  to  connive  at 
evil,  and  we  are  encouraged  to  the  same  course  our- 
selves, having  God  constantly  before  us  as  an  exam- 
ple. It  is  perfectly  consistent  with  good  morals  to 
believe  in  a  supreme  power  who  is  all-wise,  all-power- 
ful and  wholly  good,  but  Christianity  does  not  take 
that  view  of  it.  It  insists  upon  the  recognition  of 
Satan,  and  thereby  destroys  the  moral  character  of 
the  triune  God." 

"But  did  not  Jesus,  himself,  recognize  the  existence 
of  the  devil,  and  did  he  not  cast  out  devils,  and  is  not 
this  proposition  clearly  founded  on  his  teachings?" 

"Most  of  the  passages  of  the  Bible  in  which  this  doc- 
trine is  ascribed  to  Jesus  require  a  very  strained  con- 
struction to  admit  of"  such  a  belief.  But  even  sup- 
posing that  he  did  use  the  language  which  is  at- 
tributed to  him,  and  allowing  nothing  for  the  exagger- 
ation of  the  writer  of  the  history,  interpolations  and 
the  lapse  of  time,  you  will  not  be  able  to  find  a  passage 
where  Jesus  teaches  that  this  belief  is  essential  to  sal- 
vation. The  belief  in  devils  of  various  kinds  was  prac- 
tically universal  in  that  superstitious  period,  and  it 
is  very  reasonable  that  Jesus  spoke  in  the  language 
which  his  hearers  were  likely  to  understand,  without 
entering    into    a    controversy    upon    a    nonessential 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  273 

which  he  knew  must  disappear  before  the  expanding 
intelligence  of  mankind.  Yon  will  not  find  that  a 
belief  in  Satan  is  at  all  essential  to  the  system  of 
ethics  which  he  inculcated.  But  whether  he  did  or 
not,  is  not  essential.  The  ultimate  test  of  a  doctrine 
is  whether  it  accords  with  reason  and  truth,  and  not 
with  the  teachings  of  any  philosopher.  The  greatest 
proof  of  the  immorality  of  this  doctrine  is  that  it  con- 
tradicts itself.  If  man  is  responsible  for  believing, 
and  he  is  exposed  to  conditions  which  destroy  his  be- 
lief, with  the  consent  of  God,  then  God  is  responsible 
for  the  unbelief  and  not  the  man.  This  is  another 
absurdity. 

"A  still  greater  proof  of  the  immorality  of  this  creed 
is  found  in  the  third  proposition.  According  to  this 
proposition,  man  is  bribed  to  believe,  by  a  promise  of 
endless  bliss  in  heaven.  This  destroys  the  moral 
sense  of  man  by  educating  him  to  do  right  for  the  sake 
of  reward,  and  not  for  the  sake  of  righteousness.  He 
is  also  urged  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  to  believe, 
through  the  fear  of  hell.  Thus,  hope  of  reward  and 
fear  of  pain  are  the  two  principal  motives  appealed  to, 
and  these  are  set  forth  as  the  results  of  the  relative 
powers  of  God  and  Satan.  Because  God  is  the  most 
powerful,  he  is  able  to  offer  heaven  to  the  believer,  and 
to  punish  him  in  hell  for  his  unbelief.  The  promi- 
nence given  to  these  motives  destroys  all  education  of 
the  other  powers  of  man,  and  keeps  him  in  slavery  to 
his  abject  fear  and  his  love  of  gain.  The  conception 
of  God  inculcated  by  these  motives  is  that  of  an  abso 

18 


274  LOMA, 

lute  tyrant,  and  this  tends  to  make  the  man  who  serves 
and  worships  this  conception  a  tyrant  also.  The  sole 
condition  of  salvation  is  made  a  belief  in  something 
which  is  contrary  to  the  usual  order  of  things,  and 
thus,  while  the  curiosity  of  man  is  excited,  he  is  for- 
bidden to  reason  about  it,  because  if  he  does,  he  will 
be  in  danger  of  disbelieving.  This  stupefies  his  in- 
telligence and  he  is  constrained  to  believe  through  his 
strongly  excited  fear  and  his  hardly  less  strongly  ex- 
cited cupidity." 

"Indeed,  sir,  I  have  never  considered  it  in  this  light," 
exclaimed  Mr.  McDonald.  "It  has  never  occurred  to 
me,  that  the  hope  of  reward  in  heaven  and  the  fear  of 
punishment  in  hell  are  unworthy  motives." 

"They  are  not  unworthy  motives,  except  in  so  far  as 
they  are  made  paramount  to  all  other  motives.  If  the 
emotions  of  fear  and  the  love  of  gain  were  only  two 
of  the  incidents  of  this  creed,  there  would  be  no  criti- 
cism of  it  on  that  account.  These  emotions  are  made 
a  part  of  man  by  the  nature  of  his  constitution,  and 
are  therefore  not  to  be  despised.  But  when  they  are 
appealed  to  as  the  chief  motives  of  human  conduct, 
to  the  exclusion  and,  in  fact,  destruction  of  the  other 
motives  which  should  form  a  part  of  the  impulses  to 
correct  judgment,  the  result  is  stupefaction  instead 
of  enlightenment,  and  the  agency  which  accomplishes 
this  must  be  condemned  as  immoral.  A  still  greater 
proof  of  immorality  is  found  in  the  doctrine  of  eternal 
punishment,  visited  by  God  upon  those  who  fail  to 
accept  the  belief  of  the  creed.     The  constant  worship 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  275 

of  a  being'  of  infinite  cruelty  lends  to  make  men  cruel 
themselves,  and  this  belief  is  directly  responsible  for 
the  fact  that  men  in  all  ages  have  imprisoned  and  tor- 
tured their  fellow  men  who  would  not  believe  as  they 
did.  The  fact  that  this  same  conduct  was  one  of  the 
chief  attributes  of  the  God  they  had  been  taught  from 
infancy  to  adore,  justified  them  in  following  his  ex- 
ample. Now  we  believe  that  goodness  means  justice 
and  kindness,  at  ail  times  and  places,  toward  every 
creature,  under  all  circumstances.  We  believe  that 
Nature  is  altogether  good,  that  there  is  no  positive 
evil,  and  this  conception  fortifies  us  constantly  id  the 
exercise  of  kindness  toward  all  creatures. 

"The  fourth  proposition,  on  its  ban1  statement,  con- 
victs your  omnipotent  God  of  imbecility  or  insanity, 
according  to  the  way  you  look  at  it.  If  he  was  om- 
nipotent, and  he  created  man  in  such  a  condition  that 
he  is  innately  depraved,  then  man  is  merely  as  it 
pleased  Trod  to  have  him,  and  God  has  no  right  to  feel 
wrath  toward  that  which  exists  by  reason  of  his  own 
desire.  If  he  is  angry  at  man  for  being  as  he  desired 
him  to  be,  then  he  is  insane.  If,  on  the  contrary,  man 
has  acquired  his  depravity  by  reason  of  his  opposition 
to  the  will  of  God,  then  God  is  imbecile,  or  tie  would 
have  prevented  it.  To  allow  man  to  become  depraved 
when  he  could  have  prevented  it.  and  then  to  punish 
him  for  it,  is  the  act  of  an  insane  savage.  The  fact 
that  his  wrath  was  of  that  character  that  it  could  only 
be  appeased  by  a  bloody  sacrifice,  also  convicts  him  of 
savagery,  and  the  further  fad.  that  he  imposed  or  per- 


276  LOMA, 

mitted  the  burden  to  be  imposed  upon  his  own  son, 
shows  that  he  was  destitute  of  the  most  ordinary  in- 
stincts of  affection.  The  whole  idea  of  the  atonement 
is  based  upon  the  principle  of  retaliation,  which  is 
always  brutal;  it  inculcates  the  principle  of  revenge, 
which  is  directly  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus, 
and  it  is  directly  responsible  for  neutralizing  the  effect 
of  the  greatest  efforts  made  by  Jesus  toward  placing 
the  world  upon  a  higher  plane  of  action. 

"The  last  proposition  we  have  formulated,  however, 
has  still  additional  proofs  of  the  immorality  of  the 
system.  It  inculcates  the  idea  of  a  trial  and  a  judg- 
ment before  the  accused  has  come  into  existence.  This 
is  the  essence  of  injustice,  and  as  immorality  is  always 
the  result  of  injustice  in  some  form,  it  creates  the 
fundamental  condition  which  produces  all  the  immo- 
rality that  exists.  There  can  be  no  morality  without 
fairness.  The  conception  of  a  God  who  judges  before 
the  crime  is  committed,  and  who  consigns  endless 
myriads  of  human  beings  to  torment  in  advance,  has 
familiarized  the  human  intelligence  with  infinite  in- 
justice, and  made  it  a  thing  to  be  admired  and  followed 
as  nearly  as  is  practicable.  It  is  not  wonderful,  in 
this  view  of  the  facts,  that  injustice  prevails,  and  that 
the  cultivation  of  the  moral  sense  has  not  been  known 
among  Christian  nations." 

"Indeed,  sir,  you  astonish  me,"  said  Mr.  McDonald. 
"I  had  not  supposed  that  such  statements  could  be  made 
with  any  degree  of  plausibility  against  a  system  of 
religion  and  morals  that  I  have  been  taught  to  revere 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  277 

from  uiy  youth  up.  But  I  am  far  from  being  con- 
vinced that  you  are  right,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  you 
are  judging  the  conduct  of  God  by  purely  human  stand- 
ards." 

"All  standards  are  human  that  can  he  comprehended 
by  human  intellects.  rf  your  God  will  not  stand 
the  test  when  judged  by  human  standards,  we  can 
hardly  hope  for  a  better  result  when  standards  of  a 
higher  degree  are  applied.  We  are  required  to  believe 
with  a  human  intelligence.  In  the  very  nature  of 
things,  what  we  are  required  to  believe  must  be  con- 
sistent with  human  reason.  If  it  is  contrary  to  rea- 
son, justice  requires  us  to  reject  it.  It  has  been  well 
said  that  the  man  who  will  not  reason  is  a  bigot,  the 
man  who  dares  not  reason  is  a  coward,  and  the  man 
who  cannot  reason  is  a  fool." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  "that  this  con- 
ception of  the  wrath  of  God,  and  the  fear  of  eternal 
punishment  in  hell,  is  necessary  to  hold  the  evil  pas- 
sions of  men  in  check.  If  this  fear  was  removed  I  do 
not  discern  what  would  prevent  men  from  running  riot 
in  every  form  of  crime  and  excess." 

"You  have  entirely  overlooked  the  strongest  factor 
in  human  conduct,  the  natural  impulse  of  every  man 
to  do  right.  Experience  and  observation  have  shown 
thai  even  the  worst  criminals  do  right  oftener  than 
they  do  wrong,  when  the  sum  total  of  all  their  actions 
is  taken  into  account.  The  ordinary  citizen  docs  right 
nearly  all  the  time,  or  so  nearly  so  that  his  obliqui- 
ties   are    so    trilling    thai    they    arc    not    considered 


278  LOMA, 

important.  Think  of  the  thousands  of  laborers  in  this 
city  who  will  toil  all  day  without  committing  any 
wrong,  and  whose  work  will  be  so  perfect  that  the 
commerce  of  the  world  will  glide  along  without  fric- 
tion. If  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  humanity  is  nat- 
urally good,  you  would  have  anarchy  at  once,  for  the 
sense  of  fear  is  not  strong  enough  in  the  majority  of 
men  to  deter  them  from  following  the  dictates  of  their 
wills.  When  we  consider  the  efforts  that  have  been 
made  to  stupefy  men  with  fear,  it  is  remarkable  what 
good  conduct  is  the  rule.  Fear  is  always  brutalizing, 
whenever  it  gets  the  mastery  of  a  man.  It  is  true  that 
most  criminals  are  cowards.  Therefore,  if  we  wish  to 
eliminate  the  criminal  from  society,  we  must  com- 
mence by  educating  men  to  be  brave." 

"If  there  is  no  innate  depravity  in  the  nature  of  man, 
how  do  you  account  for  the  prevalence  of  crime? 
There  is  a  desperate  lot  of  wickednes.s  in  the  world 
from  some  cause,  and  ail  the  efforts  of  teachers,  law- 
makers, and  philanthropists  have  not  succeeded  in 
eliminating  it  to  any  appreciable  extent.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  world  seems  to  be  growing  worse  every  day." 

"The  world  is  not  growing  worse,  but  man  is  be- 
coming more  enlightened,  and  is  therefore  made  to 
realize  more  and  more  the  existence  of  discord,  and 
the  necessity  for  removing  it.  He  therefore  becomes 
more  conscious  of  the  conditions  that  surround  him, 
and  his  moral  sense  is  becoming  awakened.  As  soon 
as  he  becomes  sufficiently  enlightened,  and  learns  his 
own  nature,  and  adopts  a  rational  system  of  charac- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  279 

ter  study,  lie  will  progress  very  rapidly  toward  a  bet- 
ter condition,  and  will  ultimately  reach  it.     But  be- 
fore he  can  do  this,  he  must  abandon  the  idea  of  his 
dependence  upon  supernatural  agencies,  mid  learn  to 
regard   himself  as   a    natural   product  and   subject  to 
the  same  great  laws  which  govern  the  growth  of  the 
objects  which  surround  him.     Man  is  now  struggling 
with   two   serious   misconceptions.     The   first   is,   that 
he  is  more  highly  favored  of  the  gods  than  any  other 
creature,  ami  for  that  reason  he  trusts  to  the  gods  to 
do  for  him  that  which  must  come  as  the  result  of  his 
own  effort.     The  most  conspicuous  example  of  the  per- 
nicious working  of  this  misconception  is  in  the  gen- 
eration of  his  offspring,  which  he  trusts  wholly  to  the 
providence  of  his  gods,  instead  of  applying  the  well- 
known  laws  of  reproduction,  which  he  has  so  success- 
fully applied  to  the  generation  of  animals  and  veg- 
etables.    Because  he  regards  animals  and  vegetables 
as  under  his  own  jurisdiction,  he  uses  his  intelligence 
with  the   happiest   results.     Because   he   regards   his 
own  offspring  as  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  gods, 
he  neglects  his  duty  in  the  study  of  human  culture 
with  disastrous  results.     The  second  misconception  is, 
oddly  enough,  the  antithesis  of  the  first.     It  consists 
in  regarding  his  own  nature  as  wholly  depraved.     This 
doctrine  has  clothed   humanity  in  one   universal   dis- 
grace and  destroyed  the  possibility  of  self-respect.     As 
long  as  it  is  permitted  to  cloud  the  human  intellect, 
it    will   render  the  world  a   penitentiary.     Put  a   man 
in   convict's  clothing,  and   he   will  commit  crimes  of 


280  LOMA. 

which  he  is  incapable  in  the  garb  of  a  freeman.  Until 
this  misconception  is  removed,  man  will  be  a  criminal 
in  as  much  as  he  has  allowed  this  idea  to  influence  his 
conduct." 

"If  this  view  of  the  case  is  true,  it  seems  to  me  that 
all  men  would  be  criminals.  The  strongest  objection 
I  can  bring  against  your  argument,  and  one  which 
seems  to  me  to  be  conclusive,  is  that  those  nations 
which  have  achieved  the  greatest  advancement  have 
been  those  in  which  Christianity  has  obtained  the 
strongest  foothold.  If  these  doctrines  have  the  effect 
which  you  ascribe  to  them,  I  do  not  see  what  has  pre- 
vented the  Christian  nations  from  becoming  the  most 
barbarous.  But  we  certainly  compare  favorably  with 
the  Mohammedan  nations  and  with  the  civilization  of 
the  oriental  nations  where  Christianity  has  been  un- 
known," said  Mr.  McDonald,  with  spirit. 

"Your  argument  is  not  conclusive,  for  two  reasons," 
rejoined  Loma.  "In  the  first  place,  because  the  re- 
ligions you  name  have  features  which  are  quite  as  ob- 
jectionable as  anything  which  can  be  found  in  modern 
Christianity,  and  I  will  not  attempt  to  defend  them 
or  to  make  any  comparison  with  them  and  Christianity. 
I  am  even  willing  to  admit,  that  Christianity  is  su- 
perior to  any  of  them.  But  supposing  this  to  be 
true,  the  reason  why  Christian  nations  have  advanced 
morally  beyond  their  competitors  is  because  there  has 
'been  more  scepticism  among  the  Christians.  The 
finest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  to  the  manhood  of 
the  Christian  nations  is  that  they  have  at  all  times  re- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  «281 

fused  to  be  bound  by  their  religion,  and  constantly  vio- 
lating it,  they  have  advanced.  The  Mohammedan  and 
the  oriental  devotee  is  more  devout.  He  accepts  abso- 
lutely the  precepts  of  his  religion  and  lives  and  dies 
by  it.  Consequently  it  stupefies  him  and  he  has  no 
moral  sense.  The  Christian,  on  the  contrary,  is  a  nat- 
ural disbeliever.  This  is  shown  by  the  great  diversity 
of  belief  among  Christians  and  the  division  into  numer- 
ous sects.  Even  in  any  given  church  you  are  con- 
stantly dividing  and  disputing  on  points  of  doctrine, 
and  of  the  great  mass  of  church-going  people,  the  ma- 
jority are  not  believers.  Thus  while  there  has  been, 
among  what  you  call  Christian  nations,  a  formal  rec- 
ognition of  the  religion  on  the  part  of  tin1  state,  there 
has  been  a  constant  repudiation  of  it  on  the  part  of 
the  populace.  You  have  at  no  time  ever  had  a  rep- 
resentative church  membership  in  any  nation,  except 
in  Catholic  nations,  where  the  members  of  the  church 
in  full  sympathy  with  their  creed  constituted  a  ma- 
jority of  the  citizens.  The  Catholic  church  is  the  only 
one  which  has  ever  succeeded  in  establishing  a  com- 
plete control  of  any  nation,  and  wherever  this  has  oc- 
curred you  have  witnessed  t»he  death  of  intelligence 
and  the  reign  of  superstition.  So  that  we  may  safely 
assert,  without  fear  of  successful  contradiction  by  his- 
torical facts,  that  the  advancement  of  the  so-called 
Christian  nations  has  been  entirely  due  to  their  re- 
jection of  the  creeds,  and  that  civilization  has  ad- 
vanced, not  because  of  Christianity  but  in  spite  of  it. 
The  fact  that    the  organized  church  in  every   uatiou 


282  LOUA- 

and  under  every  set  of  circumstances  has  bitterly 
fought  every  scientific  discovery  and  every  important 
invention,  as  well  as  every  advance  in  social  science, 
is  too  well  known  to  need  repetition." 

"I  must  confess  that  you  have  the  best  of  me  at 
present,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  "and  I  am  unable  to 
answer  some  of  the  arguments  you  have  advanced.  I 
am  unaccustomed  to  the  consideration  of  religion  from 
this  standpoint,  and  I  see  now  that  I  have  been  look- 
ing at  the  subject  wholly  from  one  side.  But  I  am  far 
from  being  convinced,  and  I  have  this  to  say,  at  the 
present  moment.  '  Suppose  you  are  right,  am  I  not  just 
as  safe  as  you  are?" 

"You  may  be  just  as  safe,  with  reference  to  the  pos- 
sibilities of  a  future  state  of  existence  in  hell,  but  you 
are  suffering  a  great  deal  of  unnecessary  anxiety, 
losing  most  of  the  pleasure  of  life  through  a  false 
philosophy,  committing  a  great  many  mistakes,  and 
losing  the  development  which  comes  from  a  correct 
life." 

"That  may  be  true,  and  it  is  a  loss  to  be  seriously 
considered,  if  it  is  true.  But  suppose  I  am  right,  what 
will  become  of  you?" 

Loma  regarded  the  visitor  fixedly  for  a  moment  and 
then  inquired,  "Mr.  McDonald,  is  that  line  of  question- 
ing original  with  you?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  promptly;  "but  it  is 
the  usual  line  of  questioning  with  which  we  are  wont 
to  silence  the  infidels  we  have  to  deal  with." 

"Then,  without  being  impolite  to  you,  I  can  answer, 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  28_ 

that  it  is  the  argument  of  a  coward,  who  dares  not 
think.     It  is  the  privilege  and  the  duty  of  every  man 
who  lias  the  capacity  to  reason,  to  judge  for  himself 
what  is  right,  and  then  live  up  to  it,  with  the  courage 
of  his  convictions.     It  is  also  the  argument  of  the  bigot, 
and  I  will  force  you  to  relinquish  it  or  abandon  your 
religion  which  you  at  present  profess.     The  Catholic 
church  says  that  no  one  can  be  saved  outside  of  her 
pale.     The  Presbyterian  church  admits  thai  a  Catholic 
ran  be  saved.     Now,  by  the  same  logic  you  are  bound 
to  become  a  Catholic,  for  if  you  are  right,  he  is  reason- 
ably safe,  while  if  the  Catholic  church  is  right  you  are 
hopelessly  damned." 

"I  give  it  up,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  laughing.  "You 
are  one  of  the  best  logicians  I  have  ever  met.  But  I 
am  not  yet  satisfied.  I  will  think  this  over  a  couple 
of  days,  and  then  come  at  you  with  some  more  ques- 
tions." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


THE  RELIGION  OF  LOVE. 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord,  thy  God, 
with  all  thy  heart  aud  with  all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind. 
This  is  the  first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is 
like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these 
two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

A  few  days  after  the  conversation  narrated  in  the 
last  chapter,  Mr.  McDonald  was  again  the  guest  of 
Doctor  Bell.  He  had  expressed  himself  as  anxious  to 
continue  the  discussion,  and  on  this  occasion  he  pre- 
sented himself  armed  with  questions  and  a  full  stock 
of  good  humor.  Myrtle  and  Mrs.  Bell,  to  whom  the 
conversation  was  intensely  interesting,  listened  with 
great  attention.  Loma  encouraged  the  guest  to  state 
his  questions  with  the  utmost  candor. 

"While  3rou  have  impressed  me  very  much  with  the 
arguments  you  stated  in  our  last  conversation,"  said  Mi'. 
McDonald,  "I  have  this  objection  to  offer  to  your  whole 
philosophy.  Suppose  you  succeed  in  destroying  the 
entire  plan  of  salvation,  which  has  comforted  so  many 
aching  hearts,  what  can  you  give  us  that  is  belter? 
When  you  consider  the  misery  that  exists  in  the  world, 
the  sorrow  over  the  death  of  those -wo  love  the  broken 
hearts,  the  blasted  ambitions,  the  poverty,  the  crime. 

(285) 


286  LOMA, 

the  degradation,  and  all  of  the  misfortunes  with  which 
mankind  has  to  contend,  you  must  admit  that  this 
life  is  a  failure.  If  there  is  nothing  better  than  this 
world,  then  life  is  not  worth  living.  Now  Christianity 
holds  out  to  the  believer  the  hope  of  something  better 
after  this  life,  and  opens  to  his  view  a  vista  beyond 
the  grave,  which  is  the  ouly  comfort  and  solace  of  the 
aged,  as  well  as  the  chief  stimulus  to  an  observance 
of  the  laws  of  morality  on  the  part  of  the  young.  If 
you  take  away  the  comforting  assurances  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  you  destroy  nearly  everything  which 
makes  life  endurable.'" 

"Your  statement  is  constructed  upon  a  false  theory 
of  conditions,"  answered  Loma.  "You  have  assumed 
that  the  conditions  which  would  obtain  after  the  de- 
struction of  Christianity  would  be  the  same  as  now 
exist  under  it,  which  is  contrary  to  the  nature  of 
things.  As  society  is  at  present  constructed,  the  laws 
and  customs  which  have  been  made  by  those  who  pro- 
ceeded upon  the  Christian  theory  are  the  chief  forces 
which  create  conditions.  The  fact  that  life  is  a  failure 
under  Christian  conditions  is  the  principal  reason  why 
those  conditions  should  be  abolished  and  something 
else  tried,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  experiment.  You 
admit,  that  after  nearly  two  thousand  years  of  trial, 
Christianity  has  not  given  us  a  world  that  offers  many 
inducements  to  live  in  it.  Now  the  fact  that  poverty, 
crime,  degradation'  and  misery  abound  under  the  dis- 
pensation of  Christianity,  and  that  many  tribes  of 
happy  and  contented   savages  have  been   completely 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  2H7 

destroyed  by  the  advent  of  Christianity  into  their  lives, 
is  evidence  that  something  is  wrong,  not  with  the 
world,  nor  with  humanity,  per  se,  but  with  the  condi- 
tions which  Christianity  imposes  and  the  education 
which  it  gives.  I  have  already  shown  yon,  that  the 
plan  of  Christianity  appeals,  principally,  to  only  two 
of  the  faculties  of  the  nature  of  man,  viz.,  fear  and  the 
love  of  gain.  Now,  because,  after  the  rare  has  had 
nineteen  centuries  of  riotous  dominance  of  these  two 
faculties,  to  the  entire  subordination  of  all  the  other 
good  impulses  of  man's  nature,  you  have  conditions 
of  degradation,  misery  and  crime,  you  shrink  from  ex- 
perimenting with  any  other  form  of  education,  because 
you  are  dominated  by  the  fear  of  unknown  conse- 
quences, and  the  love  of  gain  prompts  you  to  hold  to 
the  miserable  comfort  you  get  out  of  promises  that 
have  never  in  a  single  instance  been  verified.  Your 
most  devout  Christian  is  always  the  most  conservative1 
man  in  the  community.  He  is  cautious  and  acquisi- 
tive, and  the  plan  of  salvation  suits  him.  He  can  be 
reasonably  consistent  in  its  practice,  because  he  loves 
gain,  and  he  is  always  cautious  and  prudent,  and  he 
is  happy  in  keeping  on  what  he  considers  the  safe 
side.  He,  therefore,  orders  his  conduct  reasonably 
well,  according  to  Christian  standards,  yet  the  ma- 
jority of  men  are  not  so  constituted,  and  as  the  plan 
of  Christianity  does  not  appeal  to  them  and  does  not 
fit  their  lives,  they  have  no  other  system  of  moral  or 
ethical  culture,  and  they  abandon  themselves  to  wick- 
edness.    Tims,   it    appears,    thai    the   real    reason    why 


288  LOMA, 

you  have  such  unfortunate  conditions  in  the  world,  is 
really  because  that  religion  which  is  to  satisfy  the 
nature  of  man  has  not  yet  been  introduced.  Jesus 
attempted  to  introduce  such  a  religion,  and  to  a  great 
degree  succeeded,  and  when  the  world  accepts  his 
teachings  as  they  were  intended  by  him,  and  not  en- 
crusted with  the  dogmas  of  politicians  and  supersti- 
tious priests,  you  will  And,  that  while  you  have  been 
acting  in  his  name,  you  have  been  constantly  violating 
his  precepts,  and  you  have  accepted  instead  of  the 
pure  philosophy  he  taught,  a  mass  of  ridiculous  con- 
tradictions which  will  not  stand  the  test  of  reason. 
These  incongruities  and  absurdities  of  the  system  have 
been  exposed  many  times,  but  your  people  continue 
to  cling  to  them,  because  the  true  teachings  of  Jesus 
are  shrouded  in  doubt,  and  it  is  necessary  that  these 
principles  should  be  presented  again  to  the  human 
race  in  the  clear  light  of  philosophy  to  enable  them 
to  grasp  the  truth.  The  extraordinary  character  and 
work  of  Jesus  came  very  near  demolishing  the  entire 
fabric  of  supernaturalism  in  his  day,  but  the  ingenuity 
of  the  priests,  who  saw  their  fabric  tottering,  saved 
it  for  a  time.  Instead  of  combating  the  new  philoso- 
phy, after  it  had  obtained  a  hold  upon  the  people,  they 
pretended  to  adopt  it,  and  deified  Jesus,  so  that  the  idea 
of  the  supernatural  for  a  long  time  gained  strength  by 
the  sheer  popularity  of  his  character.  After  the  admin- 
istration of  the  new  philosophy  had  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  priests,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  falsify 
the  records  by  interpolations,  and  to  inculcate  new 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  289 

doctrines  which  Jesus  never  taught.  This  process  has 
been  continued,  with  slight  variations,  down  to  the 
present  day,  when  the  true  teachings  of  Jesus  are  be- 
ing better  understood  than  they  ever  were  before,  and, 
consequently,  there  is  more  scepticism  against  the  re- 
ceived interpretation  of  his  philosophy.  The  Chris- 
tianity of  the  churches  must  fall,  and  Jesus  must  be 
restored  to  his  original  glory  as  the  best  of  philoso- 
phers; the  tawdry  investments  of  godship  must  be  torn 
from  his  figure,  and  it  must  be  permitted  to  stand  out 
in  all  of  its  pristine  beauty  of  manhood.  Then  the 
absurd  contradictions  and  untenable  doctrines  which 
have  been  attributed  to  him  must  be  disregarded,  and 
when  a  proper  allowance  has  been  made  for  the  mis- 
understandings of  his  auditors  and  scribes,  his  original 
philosophy  will  be  found  to  be  substantially  correct." 

"I  understood  you  to  say,  in  our  former  conversa- 
tion, that  you  derived  your  authority  from  the  same 
school  of  philosophy  in  which  Jesus  was  educated. 
Will  you  please  explain?"' 

"Jesus  was  educated  in  the  school  of  philosophy  of 
which  I  am  a  pupil,  and  he  represented  a  perfect  type 
of  a  civilization  which  has  existed  for  many  centuries 
anterior  to  his  extraordinary  career  on  this  earth. 
You  will  excuse  me,  when  I  say  that  I  am  not  at  lib- 
erty to  give  you  the  location  of  the  cult  to  which  he 
belonged,  for  confidential  reasons.  But  if  you  will  ac- 
cept my  statements  for  what  truth  they  contain,  and 
subject  them  to  the  tests  of  an  impartial  criticism,  I 
will   recite  to  you  the   essential   articles  of  a    creed 

19 


290  LOMA. 

which  is  substantially  what  he  inculcated  on  this 
earth,  and  in  which  I  have  been  educated  from  my 
youth,  which  may  fully  answer  your  question,  when 
you  asked  what  could  be  given  in  exchange  for  the 
accepted  creed  of  Christianity  which  would  meet  the 
demands  of  man's  nature." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  listen." 

"The  essential  doctrines  of  Jesus  are  all  summed  up 
in  his  great  proposition  of  supreme  love  to  God  and 
equal  love  to  man.  This  is  the  sum  total  of  all  phi- 
losophy. But  it  is  necessaiy  to  understand  what  he 
meant  by  the  proposition,  and  we  must  not  accept  the 
interpretation  which  has  been  put  upon  his  words  by 
designing  and  prejudiced  expounders. 

"The  first  and  great  commandment,  'Thou  shalt  love 
the  Lord,  thy  God,'  does  not  mean  that  man  shall  bow 
down  to  any  of  the  idols  which  man  has  made,  whether 
they  be  of  wood  or  stone  or  the  savage  ideals  of 
ignorant  and  savage  men.  'The  Lord,  thy  God,'  is  that 
to  which  man  owes  his  existence,  his  Creator,  and  the 
ruler  of  all  the  forces  which  surround  and  govern  him. 
It  is  man's  highest  duty  and  privilege  to  question  the 
universe  and  find  what  this  force  of  creation  is,  and 
when  he  has  reached  the  limit  of  his  intelligence,  to 
accept  the  demonstrated  conditions  of  nature,  and  to 
love  and  obey  them  to  the  very  best  of  his  ability. 
When  the  limits  of  man's  intelligence  taught  him  that 
there  was  a  power  superior  to  his  own  in  the  flashing 
lightning  and  the  rolling  thunder,  he  was  justified 
in  falling  down  and  worshiping  it,  but  he  was  not  jus- 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENTS  291 

titled  iii  allowing  that  conception  of  (rod  to  remain 
fixed  in  his  mind.  Now,  that  man  has  progressed  be- 
yond the  primitive  savage  state,  and  his  intelligence 
enables  him  to  comprehend  reason,  benevolence  and 
justice,  and  he  has  solved  many  of  the  perplexing 
problems  of  the  material  universe  which  surrounds 
him,  he  is  not  justified  in  clinging  to  the  savage  con- 
ception of  Jehovah,  Jove,  or  any  other  ideal  of  a  de- 
parted and  darkened  standard  of  intelligence.  If  he 
clings  to  these  and  loves  them,  he  is  not  loving  the 
Lord,  his  God.  The  highest  duty  of  man  is,  to  love 
the  highest  and  best  conception  of  the  creative  power 
of  the  universe  which  it  is  in  his  intelligence  to  com- 
prehend. In  the  present  degree  of  intelligence,  w£  are 
able  to  prove  that  the  creative  power  which  is  ex- 
pressed in  Nature,  and  which  is  manifested  in  the  phe- 
nomena of  growth  and  development,  is  the  nearest  and 
best  revelation  of  the  character  of  the  Creator,  and 
hence  it  is  the  imperative  duty  of  man  to  abandon  all 
of  the  supernatural  conceptions  which  he  has  out 
grown,  and  to  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  Nature. 
The  command,  therefore,  becomes  translated  into  these 
words,  'Thou  shalt  love  Nature/  Loving  Nature  means 
to  study  natural  conditions  and  conform  to  them. 
When  man  does  this  he  finds  that  every  element  in 
Nature  is  good.  He  finds  that  every  condition  of 
growth  and  development  is  the  very  best  that  could 
possibly  exist.  As  soon  as  he  conforms  to  the  condi- 
tions of  his  environment  he  becomes  happy  and  con- 
tented himself.     Instead  of  cringing  before  a  tyran- 


292  LOMA, 

nical  and  capricious  deity,  he  stands  erect  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  universe  which  is  altogether  lovely,  and  in 
which  there  is  no  flaw.  He  learns  that  whatever  is, 
is  right.  It  is  in  accordance  with  the  immutable  laws 
of  Nature,  and  he  learns  to  accept  these  conditions 
and  to  conform  to  them.  As  long  as  he  believes  that 
his  conditions  are  governed  by  the  caprices  of  a  super- 
natural deity  to  whom  he  can  go  with  a  petition,  with 
the  hope  of  having  natural  laws  suspended  for  his 
selfish  benefit,  he  will  continually  array  himself  against 
Nature  and  be  punished  accordingly.  As  soon  as  he 
learns  that  conception,  birth,  growth  and  death  are 
natural  and  inevitable  conditions,  he  will  accept  them 
as  they  are,  and  be  satisfied  with  their  consequences 
and  not  attempt  to  change  them.  He  will  learn  that 
disease  and  pain  are  the  natural  results  of  disobedi- 
ence of  law,  and  he  will  develop  his  intelligence  to  the 
degree  that  he  will  be  able  to  avoid  them.  Instead  of 
neglecting  every  duty  on  this  earth,  that  he  may 
enjoy  a  hypothetical  existence  in  an  unknown  sphere, 
he  will  enjoy  his  present  life  by  conforming  to  his 
present  duties.  We  may  therefore  say,  that  the  sum 
total  of  man's  highest  duty  is  the  rejection  of  the  su- 
pernatural, the  study  of  the  natural, — which,  of  course, 
implies  the  study  of  himself,  as  well  as  the  conditions 
of  his  environment, — and  the  adoption  of  such  habits 
and  customs  as  will  promote  his  highest  development." 
"I  must  confess  that  this  is  a  very  extraordinary 
exposition  of  the  first  and  great  commandment,"  ex- 
claimed  Mr.   McDonald.     "I  have  heard   it   preached 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  293 

from  many  times,  but  I  am  bound  to  acknowledge, 
that,  while  the  duty  of  loving  God  has  always  been 
impressed  upon  me  very  forcibly,  and  I  have  been  de- 
voutly conscious  that  I  was  in  a  manner  obeying  the 
command,  my  conception  of  God  has  always  been  that 
of  the  stern  and  powerful  Jehovah,  who  brought  tin- 
Israelites  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  There  is  much  in 
the  character  of  this  deity  as  depicted  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, that  I  have  not  been  able  to  reconcile  with  my 
conscience,  but  I  have  always  bowed  to  the  doctrine 
that  His  ways  were  dark  and  inscrutable,  and  that  it 
was  not  given  to  finite  minds  to  understand  the  work- 
ings of  the  Infinite," 

"And  by  so  doing  you  darkened  the  windows  of  your 
own  intelligence,  and  adopted  the  standard  of  the  sav- 
age of  four  thousand  years  ago." 

"I  begin  to  believe  that  that  is  so,  and  in  any  event 
I  begin  to  be  grateful  to  you  for  helping  me  to  a  bet- 
ter conception  of  the  nature  of  the  Creator.  1  know 
that,  whatever  He  is,  He  must  be  in  harmony  with  His 
creation,  and  I  am  willing  to  accept  your  statement, 
that  the  development  of  intelligence  and  the  study  of 
natural  conditions  is  the  highest  form  of  worship." 

"If  you  are  willing  to  make  this  advance,  you  must 
begin  by  removing  from  your  mind  the  conception  of 
the  deity  which  has  heretofore  existed,"  said  Loma, 
"and  yon  nmst  be  honest  with  yourself.  When  you 
think  of  G-od  as  the  creator  and  designer  of  the  uni- 
verse, as  its  omnipotent,  omniscient  and  eternal  pre- 
server, when  von  restore  Jesus  l<»  his  legitimate  "lace 


294  LOMA, 

as  tlie  perfect  type  of  man,  and  in  that  fact  the  revela- 
tion of  God,  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit  you  recognize  and 
enthrone  the  spirit  of  universal  Love,  you  will  be 
ready  to  comprehend  the  importance  of  the  second 
great  commandment,  which  is  like  unto  the  first,  'Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,1  and  you  will  in- 
deed realize  that  on  these  two  commandments  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

"I  am  willing  to  be  instructed,"  said  Mr.  McDonald, 
earnestly. 

"Will  you  seriously  claim  that  any  form  of  Chris- 
tianity expressed  through  any  of  the  denominations 
makes  any  respectable  pretense  toward  living  up  to 
the  second  great  commandment  ?" 

"No,  I  will  not  attempt  to  make  such  a  claim.  But 
I  have  always  considered  it  impossible  to  do  so,  and 
have  attributed  the  failure  of  Christians  to  fulfill  the 
demand  of  this  commandment  to  the  inherent  de- 
pravity of  our  nature  and  the  evil  constitution  of  man 
himself." 

"By  so  doing,  you  impeach  the  judgment  of  Jesus, 
and  accuse  him  of  laying  upon  man  a  command  to  per- 
form an  impossible  act.  Now  I  think  I  shall  be  able 
to  convince  you  that  it  is  not  impossible,  and  that, 
on  the  contrary,  this  command  implies  only  a  most 
reasonable  and  necessary  duty,  by  which  the  happi- 
ness of  man  can  be  greatly  increased.  I  will  formu- 
late the  implications  of  this  command  into  a  number 
of  propositions. 

"First — Tliis  command  implies,  that  man  should  love 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  295 

himself.  If  be  does  not  love  himself,  then  an  equal 
amount  of  love  toward  his  neighbor  will  do  that  neigh- 
bor little  good.  Universal  love  includes  self-love,  and 
self-love,  rightly  directed,  implies  self-culture.  There- 
fore, the  first  implication  of  this  commandment  is, 
that  man  should  surround  himself  with  the  best  pos- 
sible conditions  of  growth,  and  that  he  should  en- 
deavor to  obtain  the  highest  possible  education  and 
use  of  his  faculties.  As  long  as  he  cringes  in  fear  be- 
fore a  God  who  is  ruled  by  the  most  despicable  pas- 
sions, this  is  impossible;  but  when  he  realizes  that 
he  himself  is  a  part  of  the  great  and  glorious  cosmos, 
whose  beauty  delights  him  by  day,  and  whose  visions 
of  rolling  worlds  inspire  him  by  night,  he  may  rise  to 
a  proper  conception  of  his  own  value,  and  think  of 
himself  as  a  great  and  glorious  personality,  instead 
of  as  a  crawling  worm  of  the  dust.  You  will  agree 
with  me  that,  instead  of  teaching  this  conception  of 
manhood,  Christianity  has  always  emphasized  humil- 
ity, and  enforced  it  with  the  doctrine  of  the  utter  un- 
worthiness  of  man.  With  his  unworthiness  and  de- 
pravity kept  constantly  before  him,  in  a  world  which 
his  own  intelligence  has  taught  him  was  filled  with 
beauty  and  perfection,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  all  men 
who  have  conscientiously  accepted  Christianity  and 
tried  to  live  up  to  it  have  learned  to  hate  themselves. 
A  normal  mind  must  always  hate  that  which  is  de- 
praved and  nnworthy.  With  this  conception  of  him 
self,  it  has  been  (he  most  natural  thing  on  earth  for 
lii.iu   to  regard  his  fellow  man   .is  unworthy  and  de- 


296  LOMA, 

praved,  and  hence  he  has  made  no  rational  effort  to 
improve  either  himself  or  his  neighbor.  The  first  con- 
dition of  obedience  to  this  commandment  is,  that  man 
shall  learn  his  own  value,  that  he  shall  develop  self- 
respect,  that  he  shall  study  himself  in  the  light  of 
science,  and  realizing  his  nature  and  destiny,  that  he 
shall  love  himself  into  the  best  possible  conditions. 

"Second — Man  must  realize  the  value  of  his  neigh- 
bor. Until  he  adopts  the  plan  of  character  study,  he 
will  never  have  a  rational  conception  of  human  na- 
ture, or  the  nature  of  the  other  objects  which  sur- 
round him.  Man  does  not  understand  the  virtues,  the 
possibilities  or  the  destiny  of  those  who  surround  him. 
He  has  yet  to  realize  the  value  of  human  energy.  He 
must  comprehend  the  measure  of  human  pain  and 
human  happiness.  Until  he  does  this,  he  will  not 
awaken  to  the  necessity  of  avoiding  the  one  and  in- 
creasing the  other.  The  horrible  mistake  has  been 
ground  into  the  understanding  of  man,  that  he  should 
not  seek  for  happiness  on  this  earth  or  in  this  life. 
If  he  is  barred  from  this  himself,  what  possible  in- 
terest can  he  take  in  the  happiness  of  others?  When 
this  pernicious  doctrine  shall  have  been  destroyed, 
and  man  comprehends  that  he  is  placed  in  this  world 
to  enjoy  it,  and  that  his  highest  duty  is  to  crowd  into 
the  brief  period  of  his  existence  the  greatest  possi- 
ble amount  of  happiness,  and  he  learns  that  this  is 
best  accomplished  by  ministering  to  the  enjoyment  of 
others,  then  life  will  be  for  man  what  it  is  for  every 
other  creature  which  has  conformed  to  natural  condi^ 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


297 


tions,  a  long,  sweet  symphony  of  pleasurable  experi- 
ences. 

"Third— It  is  necessary  that  man  should  learn  who 
his  neighbor  is.     The  common  conception  applies  only 
to  those  who  have  become  intimately  associated  with 
us  in  some  way.     But  the  true  definition  of  the  term 
implies  any  being   with   whom   we  are  brought   into 
contact.      In    this   broad    acceptation,    man    must    in- 
clude, in  the  term  'neighbor,'  not  only  the  man  who  is 
near  him  but  the  animal  also.     It  means  that  man 
shall  apply  the  rule  of  universal  justice,  and  that  lie 
must  not  only  be  filled  with  good  will  toward  every- 
thing in   nature,   but  he  must  study  the   rights  and 
duties  of  things,  and  respect  the  rights  of  all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  planet,  and  perform  his  duty  in  all 
directions.     Here,  again,  the  value  of  a  system  of  cor- 
rect character  study  is  disclosed.     When  man  learns 
the  character  of   those    who   surround   him,   he   will 
learn  to  respect  their  rights  and  privileges.     Man  loves 
his  liberty,  and  he  desires  the  privilege  of  enjoying 
himself.      He   must   learn   to   concede  the   liberty   of 
every  animal   to  enjoy  life,  and  he  must  cease  con- 
sidering    the     animals     as     only     created     to     serve 
his  selfish  purposes.     He  must  also  learn  that  those 
members  of  mankind  who  are  not  as  fortunately  en- 
dowed with  resources  as  himself  are  not  to  be  made 
his  slaves,  but  that  it  is  his  highest  privilege  to  bear 
to  them  a  share  in  every  blessing  which  he  himself 
enjoys.     There  is  not  a  Christian  church  in  the  land 
which    inculcates    this    doctrine.      Your    rich    church 


298  LOMA, 

member  continually  aggregates  to  himself  numberless 
blessings  which  he  does  not  share  with  poorer  mem- 
bers. He  rolls  in  the  luxury  of  his  carriage,  while 
his  poor  brother  walks,  and  he  usually  makes  him 
clean  the  stable  into  the  bargain.  He  feeds  on  the 
fat  of  the  land  at  all  times,  and  occasionally  throws 
a  sop  to  his  stifled  conscience  by  sending  a  turkey  to 
a  poor  family,  or  by  giving  money  to  some  charity, 
where  he  will  be  sure  to  receive  an  equivalent  in  free 
advertising.  The  charity  which  builds  a  hospital  for 
the  poor,  to  gratify  human  vanity,  while  it  makes  no 
effort  to  change  the  conditions  which  produce  pov- 
erty, is  a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  intelligent  love. 
Christianity  builds  palaces  for  its  imaginary  gods, 
while  it  permits  its  neighbors  to  dwell  in  hovels.  Your 
churches  have  degenerated  into  mere  palaces  of  in- 
dulgence, where  the  majority  of  the  men  and  women 
who  attend  go  to  gratify  their  passions.  Some  have 
a  passion  for  display  in  dress,  while  others  have  a 
passion  for  religious  emotions,  which  are  only  another 
form  of  self-indulgence.  There  is  no  moral  difference 
in  the  status  of  the  person  who  goes  to  church  to  in- 
dulge a  passion,  and  that  of  one  who  goes  to  a  brothel 
for  the  same  purpose.  The  absence  of  a  good  motive 
in  each  case  makes  them  equally  sinful.  Man  must 
realize  that  his  neighbor  is*  every  living  thing  with 
which  he  comes  in  contact,  and  he  must  learn  to  apply 
the  law  of  universal  kindness,  justice  and  helpfulness. 
"Fourth — Man  must  learn  the  doctrine  of  forgive- 
ness.    When  he  commits  a  wrong  himself,  and  finds 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  299 

that  he  is  in  the  power  of  the  one  who  has  been 
wronged,  the  first  thing  he  does,  is  to  sue  for  for- 
giveness. Man  never  becomes  weary  of  being  for- 
given, and  he  invariably  forgives  himself,  whenever 
he  can  find  the  slightest  excuse.  To  love  one's  neigh- 
bor as  himself  implies  that  man  shall  be  as  ready  to 
forgive  his  neighbor  as  to  be  forgiven.  Jesus  incul- 
cated this  doctrine  when  he  announced  the  Golden 
Rule,  and  also  suggested  that  seventy  times  seven 
would  not  be  too  often  to  forgive  one  offense.  Even 
supposing  thai  he  set  a  limit  at  four  hundred  and 
ninety  times,  the  practical  effect  would  be  the  same, 
for  it  is  incredible  that  any  one  would  commit  the 
same  offense  that  number  of  times  against  the  same 
person,  unless  he  were  insane.  Herein  we  find  the 
essence  of  a  true  system  of  criminal  jurisprudence. 
The  proper  treatment  of  the  criminal  is  not  to  follow 
him  with  vindictive  punishments,  nor  to  frighten  him 
into  the  path  of  morality  by  the  suggestion  of  dire 
penalties  for  wrongdoing.  Both  of  these  methods  fos- 
ter crime  instead  of  abolishing  it.  The  true  applica- 
tion of  this  commandment  is,  for  society  to  so  regu- 
late itself  that  those  conditions  which  produce  crim- 
inals shall  be  abolished,  and  then  if  a  brother  offend, 
forgive  him,  and  if  he  repeats  the  offense  forgive  him 
again.  If  he  shows  such  a  disposition  to  commit 
crime' that  he  is  really  dangerous  to  society,  he  should 
be  regarded  as  insane,  and  he  should  be  treated  as 
any  other  diseased  member  is  treated,  that  is,  as  man 
would  wisli  t<>  be  treated  himself,  when  he  is  sick, 


300  LOMA, 

with  justice  and  kindness,  and  when  he  recovers,  he 
should  not  be  deprived  of  his  liberty.  Now  the  whole 
policy  of  Christian  civilization  is  opposed  to  this  com- 
mandment. Your  code  of  criminal  laws  and  punish- 
ments is  all  constructed  upon  the  principle  that  I  have 
condemned  in  your  conception  of  God.  You  appeal 
only  to  the  sense  of  fear^  and  you  follow  offenders 
with  the  same  vindictiveness  that  your  God  is  sup- 
posed to  consign  those  to  hell  who  offend  him.  You 
consign  your  neighbors  to  living  hells  for  life,  and  if 
the  poor  wretches  could  be  prevented  from  dying,  your 
Christian  civilization  would  extend  the  punishment 
indefinitely.  It  will  not  do  for  you  to  say  that  this 
is  outside  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  church,  for  your 
religion,  having  been  on  trial  for  these  long  centuries, 
is  responsible  for  the  civilization  it  has  produced,  if 
it  has  produced  any,  and  if  not,  then  it  is  responsible 
for  the  fact  that  it  has  not  produced  a  better  form  than 
that  which  exists.  But  you  cannot  escape  this  indict- 
ment, for  the  same  policy  is  pursued  in  your  churches 
themselves.  What  forgiveness  do  you  give  to  the 
brother  who,  through  pressure  of  poverty,  commits  a 
defalcation?  You  expel  him  from  the  church,  and 
turn  him  over  to  the  bloodhounds  of  the  law.  What 
love  do  you  show  to  the  sister  who  commits  an  offense 
against  your  marriage  customs?  You  degrade  her 
below  the  level  of  the  brute.  You  regard  certain 
animals  as  unfit  for  association  with  man  on  account 
of  their  ferocity  and  violent  disposition,  but  when  you 
learn  the  truth,  you  will  find  that  there  is  no  ferocity  so 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  301 

great  as  that  which  Christian  mail  exhibits  toward 
his  neighbor  man,  no  violence  so  wicked  as  that  which 
Christian  woman  has  at  all  ages  displayed  toward  a 
neighbor  woman  who  has  erred  in  the  violation  of  a 
social  custom." 

"Your  arraignment  of  the  system  of  religion  which 
we  ha ve  been  taught  to  regard  as  the  sum  total  of  all 
that  is  good,  is  severe,  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  say 
that  it  is  not  deserved,"  said  Mr.  McDonald.  "You 
have  certainly  given  me  new  light  on  the  meaning  of 
the  two  great  commandments  of  Jesus.  I  am  quite 
willing  to  accept  your  views  on  these  commandments, 
but  I  still  do  not  see  why  you  should  tear  down  the 
conception  we  have  of  heaven.  Surely  there  is  no 
harm  in  the  belief  in  a  future  life,  and  the  reunion  of 
those  we  love  on  a  blissful  shore,  from  which  the  pain- 
ful conditions  of  this  life  have  been  removed.  This  is 
a  last,  and  as  it  now  seems  to  me,  a  conclusive  objec- 
tion to  your  philosophy.  Even  if  it  were  a  delusion, 
it  seems  to  me  that  its  effect  could  only  be  good.  1 
am  willing  to  adopt  all  you  have  said,  in  regard  to  the 
duties  of  man  to  live  naturally  here,  but  I  am  un- 
willing to  surrender  the  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality 
after  death.  I  am  anxious  for  you  to  discuss  this 
topic." 

"It  is  always  wrong  and  injurious  to  believe  what 
is  untrue,"  replied  Loma.  "If  you  have  any  facts  upon 
which  to  base  a  belief  in  the  existence  of  a  soul,  or  in- 
dividual intelligence,  which  continues  to  exist  after 
the  death  of  the  body,  you  are  justified  in  believing 


302  LOMA, 

what  the  facts  seem  to  indicate.  But  the  belief  in  the 
immortality  of  the  soul  is  based,  first,  upon  the  bald 
assumption  that  man  possesses  a  soul,  which  has  never 
been  shown  to  rest  upon  a  single  natural  fact.  The 
greatest  proof  of  this  is  found  in  the  fact  that  man 
has  never  seriously  conceded  that  any  animal  pos- 
sesses a  soul,  but  he  regards  these  creatures  as  simply 
products  of  growth,  which  is  true.  In  fact,  the  prin- 
cipal distinction  which  3-our  greatest  mental  philoso- 
phers have  drawn  between  man  and  the  animals  is, 
that  man  possesses  a  soul,  while  animals  do  not.  Now 
the  science  of  character  study  discloses  the  fact,  that 
man  is  subject  to  exactly  the  same  conditions  of  growth 
as  the  animals;  he  comes  into  existence  in  the  same 
way,  and  he  leaves  it  by  the  same  universal  exit.  The 
difference  between  man  and  other  animals  is  simply 
this:  Man  has  a  greater  complexity  of  organization, 
and  a  greater  number  of  faculties  united  in  him  than 
any  other  animal  possesses.  But  he  does  not  possess 
a  single  faculty  that  is  not  found  in  some  degree  of 
development  in  some  animal.  He  makes  a  higher  use 
of  some  of  them  because  he  is  able  to  form  greater 
combinations.  The  almost  universal  belief  of  man  is, 
that  animals  have  no  souls,  but  he  is  unwilling  to  con- 
sider himself  in  the  same  way,  because  he  has  been 
taught  differently  by  his  priests,  and  the  belief  has 
flattered  his  egotism.  Man  loves  to  believe  that  he 
is  different  from  and  more  highly  favored  than  any 
other  product  of  growth.  When  these  facts  have  been 
forcibly  presented  to  some  of  your  boldest  and  most 


A  CITIZEN  of  VENUS.  303 

liberal  religious  philosophers,  notably  such  men  as 
John  Wesley,  they  have  avoided  the  surrender  of  their 
cherished  belief  in  the  soul  of  man,  by  boldly  accept- 
ing the  conclusion,  to  which  they  are  logically  forced, 
that  animals  have  souls  as  well  as  men,  and  are  cor- 
respondingly immortal.  This  is  the  only  course  open 
to  the  consistent  believer,  for  there  is  no  argument 
which  suggests  the  existence  of  a  soul  in  man  which 
does  not  apply  with  equal  force  to  animals.  But  man 
does  not  generally  consider  this  doctrine  seriously  with 
regard  to  animals,  for  the  reason  that  all  the  observed 
facts  of  nature  combine  to  teach  him  that  it  is  false. 

"The  principal  objection  to  the  belief  is,  however, 
that  it  causes  man  to  be  indifferent  to  his  duties  in 
this  life.  He  is  constantly  looking  forward  to  the  reali- 
zation of  his  extravagant  hopes  for  the  good  time  in 
the  future,  and  he  neglects  the  enjoyment  of  the  pres- 
ent. He  is  taught  to  have  a  contempt  for  the  pleas- 
ures of  this  world,  by  the  magnificence  of  the  furnish- 
ings of  his  imaginary  heaven,  if  he  will  conform  to  the 
teachings  of  the  priest,  and  believe  the  system  of  the- 
ology which  is  furnished  to  him  ready  made.  To 
compel  him  to  accept  the  system  without  question, 
and  to  prevent  him  from  reasoning  upon  its  absurdi- 
ties, he  is  instructed  in  early  youth,  that  the  church 
is  infallible,  or  what  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  that 
the  Bible  from  which  it  derives  its  authority  is  in- 
spired beyond  the  possibility  of  a  mistake.  By  this 
ingenious  system  of  fraud  and  arrogance,  your  intelli- 
gence has  been  stupefied,  until  you  are  unable  to  rea- 


304  LOMA, 

son  with  the  same  degree  of  perspicuity  upon  religion 
that  you  display  upon  other  topics,  where  you  are  not 
dominated  by  fear.  Under  such  a  system  it  is  impos- 
sible to  develop  moral  character,  for  moral  character 
depends  upon  the  ability  to  reason  without  fear,  and 
to  decide  upon  a  duty  and  its  performance  for  moral 
reasons.  The  indifference  to  the  discharge  of  moral 
duties  is  increased  by  the  emphasis  which  is  laid  upon 
belief  as  the  only  condition  of  salvation.  While  your 
advanced  theologians  concede,  that  faith  without 
works  is  dead,  yet  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  the 
mass  of  your  ignorant  and  degraded  classes  will  ever 
be  able  to  draw  a  distinction  upon  these  fine  points. 
It  is  a  common  spectacle  to  see  a  criminal  of  the  worst 
class  executed  in  the  presence  of  a  priest  of  some  de- 
nomination, and  dying  assured  by  him  that  he  is  saved 
at  the  eleventh  hour  by  his  confession  of  belief.  This  is 
logically  correct,  according  to  the  plan  of  Christianity, 
and  it  cannot  be  abandoned  without  surrendering  the 
whole  theory  of  salvation.  But  the  effect  upon  the 
popular  mind  is,  that  it  places  a  premium  upon  wrong- 
doing, and  comforts  the  criminal  with  the  assurance 
that  he  may  persist  in  his  wickedness  as  long  as  he 
likes,  and  unless  he  dies  too  suddenly,  he  is  always 
sure  of  the  chance  of  heaven,  if  he  has  time  and  op- 
portunity to  call  in  any  minister  of  an  orthodox  church 
and  make  a  profession  of  penitence  and  belief.  This 
is  a  miserable  substitute  for  that  education,  which  the 
state  owes  to  every  citizen,  on  the  rights  and  duties 
of  persons  and  things,  which  will  cause  him  to  deal 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  305 

with  moral  questions  intelligently,  according-  to  the 
mathematical  principles  of  equity.  Your  doctrine  of 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
priest  which  has  grown  out  of  it,  has  crowded  out  of 
your  education  every  form  of  instruction  upon  moral 
questions. 

"A   serious  consequence   of  this  belief    is,  that  it 
creates  so  much  anxiety  about  the  future  in  the  mind 
of  the  earnest  and  conscientious  believer,  that  it  con- 
sumes his  energies.     He  is  so  busy  preparing  for  the 
future  life  that  he  has  no  time  to  devote  to  the  devel- 
opment of  himself  or  his  family  here.     It  is  pitiable  to 
see  what  a  destruction  of  happiness  this  doctrine  has 
caused  in  the  lives  of  Christians.     Lest  his  imaginary 
God  should  be  offended,  and  therefore  his  chances  for 
heaven   decreased,  the  Christian  has  forfeited  every 
good  which  bountiful  nature  affords.     The  most  fanat- 
ical have  gone  to  the  extent  of  torturing  themselves. 
They  have  denied  themselves  food,  raiment,  sleep  and 
every  form  of  comfort;  have  withdrawn  from  the  so- 
ciety of  their  fellows  and  lived  in  cells  and  caves;  have 
suffered   disease  and  tortures   worse   than   death,   to 
exalt  the  soul  at  the  expense  of  the  body.     You  may 
say  that  this  is  fanaticism.     It  is  only  the  complete 
application  of  the  logical  consequences  of  the  system. 
Men  who  are  not  considered  fanatics  have  fought  every 
form  of  human  enjoyment  for  the  same  reason.      The 
church  goes  into  a  spasm  of  wrath  whenever  any  new 
form  of  pleasure  appears.     Tt  has  condemned  dancing, 

many  denominations  have  fought  instrumental  music; 
20 


306  LOMA, 

it  anathematized  every  form  of  the  drama,  and  ful- 
minated its  curse  upon  roller  skating  and,  more  lately, 
upon  the  pleasures  of  the  bicycle.  Women  have  been 
expelled  from  churches  because  they  ornamented  their 
bodies  with  appropriate  colors  of  ribbons  and  with 
jewelry.  There  has  never  been  a  development  in  art, 
science,  or  the  study  of  morals  itself,  which  has  not 
received  the  fiery  opposition  of  those  who  were  thor- 
oughly indoctrinated  with  Christianity,  and  the  force 
of  the  opposition  has  always  been  in  exact  proportion 
to  the  sincerity  and  zeal  of  the  Christian  representa- 
tive." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Mr.  McDonald,  "that  you  hold 
Christianity  responsible  for  the  eccentricities  of  Chris- 
tians, which  is  unjust.  Any  system  is  likely  to  have 
adherents  who  will  go  to  the  extent  of  fanaticism. 
And  you  have  not  made  clear  to  me  yet,  why  immor- 
tality may  not  be  contemplated  with  satisfaction  by 
those  who  have  lived  according  to  their  profession. 
Suppose  a  man  does  live  according  to  the  principles  of 
eternal  justice  and  righteousness,  why  should  he  not 
have  a  prolongation  of  his  life  in  eternity?" 

"The  eccentricities  of  the  Christians  which  I  have 
described,"  said  Loma,  "were  the  legitimate  outcome 
of  the  system.  If  the  principles  of  Christian  theology 
are  true,  these  men  did  right.  Their  actions  were  ap- 
proved in  their  day  by  the  highest  concensus  of  opin- 
ion in  their  respective  denominations.  And  these 
actions  were  not  modified  until  the  prevailing  spirit 
of  scepticism  produced  a  force  which  compelled  the 


A  CITIZRX  OF  VENUS.  307 

Christian  authorities  to  revise  their  judgment.  And 
when  this  revision  took  place,  it  was  not  according  to 
Christian  standards  of  right  and  wrong-,  but  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  enlightened  demands  of  science  and 
public  sentiment.  The  answer  to  your  last  question 
is  as  follows:  When  an  organization  has  completed 
the  purpose  for  which  it  was  created,  it  is  a  waste  of 
material  to  keep  it  in  existence.  Nature  demands  that 
all  bodies  shall  live,  die  and  decompose  into  original 
elements.  In  the  sense  that  all  matter  is  indestructi- 
ble, so  everything  is  immortal.  But  in  the  constant 
mutations  of  matter  organizations  change.  As  the 
intelligence  of  man  changes  with  the  changes  in  his 
organization,  so  his  individuality  must  be  lost  with 
the  loss  of  the  individuality  of  his  organization.  This 
is  in  accordance  with  the  facts  which  Nature  lays  be- 
fore us,  and  there  is  nothing  which  seems  to  indicate 
the  contrary.  The  acceptance  of  this  doctrine  relieves 
all  anxiety  as  to  the  future,  which  is  the  bane  of  man's 
existence.  With  the  fading  of  his  vision  of  a  palace 
in  an  imaginary  heaven,  which  he  would  not  know 
how  to  use  and  enjoy  if  he  had,  there  is  also  an  ex- 
tinction of  the  nightmare  of  a  dungeon  in  hell.  Ac- 
cepting the  command  of  Nature  to  live  and  enjoy  her 
bounties,  he  thrills  with  the  pleasure  of  the  present, 
and  when  he  has  finished  the  use  of  the  faculties  with 
which  he  has  been  endowed,  he  surrenders  them  back 
to  her  keeping,  and  slumbers  peacefully  in  the  broad 
receptivity  of  the  universe,  of  which  his  substance  was 
always,  and  ever  will  be,  a  component  part." 


308  LOMA, 

"The  true  doctrine  of  immortality  is  this,"  continued 
Loma,  after  a  pause :  "The  amount  or  measure  of  mag- 
netism which  a  person  is  capable  of  generating  and 
expressing  through  the  machinery  of  his  body,  consti- 
tutes his  intelligence  or  mind,  and  the  character  of  that 
mind  will  be  determined  by  the  form  which  the  body 
takes.  In  other  words,  the  amount  of  mind  of  any  given 
individual  is  determined  by  his  state  of  health,  quality, 
temperament  and  magnitude.  The  kind  of  mind  is 
determined  by  the  form  of  his  body  and  head,  and  this 
is  proved  by  Phrenology  to  be  as  true  of  animals  as  of 
man.  The  character  of  the  mind  is  constantly  chan- 
ging, as  the  form  of  the  body  changes,  by  growth  and 
the  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  The  volume 
of  mind  varies  constantly  with  conditions  of  health 
or  disease,  depletion,  exhaustion,  recuperation,  etc.  If 
you  wish  to  use  the  terms  'soul'  and  'spirit,'  the  fol- 
lowing are  the  only  definitions  that  would  accord  with 
reason,  human  experience  and  observed  facts: 

"The  'soul'  of  man  may  be  properly  considered  as  the 
capacity  he  possesses  to  generate  mental  power.  Con- 
sidered as  a  measure  and  not  as  an  entity,  the  word 
'soul'  is  useful. 

"The  'spirit'  of  man  is  his  influence  derived  from  the 
exhibition  of  his  mentality.  In  the  highest  and  best 
sense  this  'spirit'  never  dies,  but  preserves  its  individ- 
uality and  progresses  in  an  ever-widening  circle.  The 
spirit  of  Moses  as  a  lawgiver  and  political  leader  is 
more  powerful  to-day  than  when  he  gave  the  Deca- 
logue to  the  children  of  Israel.     The  Christ  spirit  is 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  309 

present  whenever  any  good  deed  is  performed  in  obedi- 
ence to  his  influence,  and  this  is  probably  the  most 
powerful  spirit  in  existence  to-day.  The  spirit  of  every 
man,  animal,  tree,  flower  or  crystal  is  in  this  sense 
forever  immortal.  But  it  survives  as  an  influence  and 
not  as  a  personality. 

"Now,  it  is  true  that  every  good  influence  continues 
indefinitely  as  well  as  every  evil  one.  Good  is  posi- 
tive, evil  is  negative,  and  all  of  these  influences  re- 
turn at  last  to  the  center  of  Creative  Energy,  which 
Ave  recognize  as  God.  In  figurative  language  God  is 
said  to  'put  on  His  right  hand'  all  good  things  and  on 
'His  left  hand'  everything  that  is  evil.  This  is  only  an- 
other way  of  saying  that  He  is  the  great  ungenerated 
source  of  all  goodness,  and  the  ultimate  end  of  all 
goodness  also,  and  that,  as  all  good  impulses  originally 
proceed  from  Him,  to  Him  also  will  they  ultimately  re- 
turn. All  evil  He  'puts  on  His  left  hand ;'  that  is  to  say, 
renders  it  negative.  The  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  set  in 
motion  by  him  during  the  performance  of  his  glorious 
mission  on  this  earth,  not  only  encompassed  this  globe 
but  our  planet  also,  and  made  itself  felt  throughout 
the  universe.  How  it  has  affected  other  spheres  it 
does  not  concern  you  to  know,  even  if  I  had  the  power 
to  tell  you,  which  I  do  not  claim.  But  this  we  know 
as  a  matter  of  philosophy,  that  any  disturbance  in  any 
part  of  the  universe,  for  good  or  evil,  affects  the  whole. 
It  is  a  grandly  inspiring  thought  that  any  good  action 
performed  by  the  humblest  individual  swells  the  vol- 
ume of  goodness  throughoul  the  universe,  and  makes 
conditions  upon  the  most   distant  star  better  because 


310  LOMA, 

it  lias  been  performed.  Because  Jesus  was  perfect  in 
his  goodness,  it  follows  that  his  whole  spirit  has  been 
placed  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  because  it  was  wholly 
and  completely  good.  May  we  so  conduct  our  high 
and  holy  mission  that  the  offspring  of  our  beloved 
Myrtle  may  reach  an  equally  high  destiny!" 

"Oh,  is  it  possible!"  exclaimed  Myrtle,  with  rapture. 

"Certainly,"  -replied  Loma.  "Human  perfection  has 
been  attained  once  and  it  can  be  attained  again.  Vol- 
umes have  been  written  and  great  energies  have  been 
expended  in  trying  to  induce  men  and  women  to  be 
like  Jesus,  when  from  their  faulty  organization  it  was 
manifestly  impossible.  But  if  the  same  effort  had  been 
put  forth  to  regenerate  the  parents  before  the  unre- 
generate  sinners  were  born,  and  they  had  been  in- 
structed in  the  true  philosophy  of  complete  generation 
so  as  to  produce  men  and  women  capable  of  compre- 
hending and  expressing  goodness,  better  results  would 
have  been  reached.  The  only  way  that  men  and 
women  can  be  brought  to  truly  resemble  Jesus,  is  to 
conceive  them  in  pure  love,  as  he  was  conceived,  and 
educate  them,  as  he  was  educated,  from  the  beginning 
of  life  in  the  womb  of  the  mother,  in  all  goodness.  If 
the  true  facts  in  relation  to  the  conception  and  edu- 
cation of  Jesus  had  been  taught  to  the  world,  instead 
of  the  absurd  and  pernicious  mystery  with  which 
priestcraft  has  veiled  them,  there  would  be  more  men 
and  women  in  the  world  to-day  Christ-like  in  character, 
beautiful  in  appearance,  worthy  to  be  placed  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  with  the  'spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect.'  " 


CHAPTER   XX. 


THE  REIGN  OF  JUSTICE. 

"Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should 
do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them,  for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
prophets." 

"Your  exposition  of  the  conditions  of  civilization 
upon  the  planet  of  Venus  has  been  exceedingly  inter- 
esting- to  me  in  all  of  its  phases,''  said  Doctor  Bell  to 
Loma  at  the  next  session;  "but  there  are  still  some 
economic  matters  of  great  value  upon  which  I  am 
anxious  to  be  enlightened.  For  instance,  I  have  un- 
derstood you  to  say,  that  cremation  is  the  usual  method 
of  disposing  of  the  dead.  Is  this  the  universal  prac- 
tice?" 

"It  is  not  only  the  universal  practice  in  the  disposal 
of  the  dead,  but  also  of  all  other  decomposing  and 
offensive  accumulations,"  said  Loma.  "The  universal 
principle  is  recognized,  that  after  a  body  has  served 
its  purpose,  and  it  has  passed  from  the  state  of  life 
to  that  of  death,  the  best  way  to  dispose  of  it  is 
to  reduce  it  to  its  original  elements  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. Fire  is  the  greatest  and  most  effective  purifier 
of  all  things,  and  it  is  a  mistaken  and  morbid  love 
which  would  ding  to  the  lifeless  body  after  the  ani- 
mating and  magnetic  condition  has  departed.     We  do 

(311) 


312  LOMA, 

not  recognize  the  desirability  of  perpetuating  the  or- 
ganization after  Nature  has  begun  the  work  of  final 
disintegration.  Nearly  all  of  our  citizens  live  to  ad- 
vanced ages,  and  after  their  social  standing  has  been 
registered  in  the  national  gazettes,  they  are  sure  of 
a  just  recognition  of  whatever  services  they  have  ren- 
dered to  humanity  after  they  have  ceased  to  exist, 
hence  there  is  no  occasion  for  expensive  monuments. 
When  a  citizen  dies,  his  lovers  and  associates  assemble 
and  witness  his  cremation,  and  listen  to  a  recital  of 
his  history  by  competent  orators.  Music  of  the  most 
cheerful  character  is  rendered,  and  there  is  no  grief, 
no  weeping  or  wailing  or  any  of  the  uncanny  perform- 
ances which  form  so  much  of  the  stock  in  trade  of  your 
undertakers  and  those  who  conduct  religious  services 
on  this  planet.  As  the  citizen  has  lived  during  his 
life  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  surround  him,  so  in 
death  every  precaution  is  taken  to  avoid  contaminating 
and  unhealthy  influences.  The  burial  of  bodies  pol- 
lutes the  ground  and  causes  a  long  train  of  diseases 
and  calamities,  of  which  your  citizens  are  ignorant, 
while  they  constantly  suffer  from  them.  Your  ceme- 
teries are  usually  placed  on  elevated  grounds,  so  that 
the  monuments  may  make  a  display,  and  the  decom- 
posing bodies  pollute  the  water  for  miles  in  all  direc- 
tions. You  drain  your  cities  into  your  streams,  and 
after  a  river  has  flowed  through  one  such  city  as  Chicago 
it  becomes  a  river  of  death.  Even  in  the  country 
where  healthier  conditions  should  prevail,  and  where 
there  is  plenty  of  room,  this  universal  blunder  con- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  313 

tinues.  You  discharge  your  excreta  and  refuse  into 
pits  dug  in  the  ground,  and  in  a  majority  of  cases 
these  are  so  near  to  the  dwellings  and  wells  that 
the  poison  is  continually  reabsorbed  by  living  bodies. 
Now,  in  Venus  we  have  a  much  better  system.  All 
of  our  garbage  is  collected  and  burned,  the  product 
converted  into  fertilizing  material  and  returned  to  the 
earth  in  purity,  and  every  stream  on  the  planet  flows 
with  living  water,  so  pure  that  under  all  circumstances 
it  is  acceptable  for  drinking  purposes  without  filter- 
ing. The  perfect  system  with  which  the  food  supply 
is  administered  prevents  waste,  and  as  we  use  only 
fruits  and  vegetables  for  food,  and  we  have  only  such 
domestic  animals  as  are  companionable,  we  have  no 
great  amount  of  garbage  to  dispose  of.  The  principal 
burden  in  your  garbage  problem  arises  from  the  large 
herds  of  domestic  animals  that  are  kept  in  unnatural 
confinement,  in  close  proximity  to  man,  and  the  use 
you  make  of  animal  food,  which  causes  a  great  per- 
centage of  the  diseases  with  which  you  are  afflicted.'" 

"What  became  of  the  herds  of  domestic  animals 
which  existed  on  Venus,  after  your  present  system 
was  inaugurated  and  you  found  that  you  had  no  fur- 
ther use  for  them?  Were  they  slaughtered?"  asked 
Myrtle. 

"By  no  means,"  replied  Loma.  "The  law  of  uni- 
versal justice  forbade  any  such  brutality.  While  they 
remained  in  confinement  the  reproduction  of  domestic 
animals  was  discontinued,  but  as  soon  as  the  new  so- 
ciety decided   upon   what   portions  of  the  globe  were 


314  LOMA, 

best  suited  to  human  habitation,  the  remaining  terri- 
tory was  abandoned,  and  as  soon  as  it  became  evident 
that  certain  animals  had  ceased  to  be  useful  to  man, 
and  that  man  was  not  essential  to  their  existence,  they 
were  transported  to  those  portions  of  the  globe  which 
were  not  required  for  man's  use,  and  set  at  liberty. 
The  consequence  was,  that  many  species  which  had 
served  their  usefulness  became  extinct,  while  others, 
according  to  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  occupied  the 
territory,  where  they  live  in  happiness  and  develop- 
ment, according  to  their  standing  in  the  scale  of  crea- 
tion." 

"Another  question  in  which  I  am  greatly  inter- 
ested," said  the  doctor,  "is  this — What  uses  do  you 
make  of  gold  and  silver  and  diamonds?  From  what 
you  have  already  said,  I  infer  that  you  use  no  cur- 
rency or  money  of  any  kind,  and  as  you  do  not  use 
clothing,  I  do  not  see  what  use  you  would  have  for 
these  articles  as  ornaments." 

"We  have  no  use  for  money,"  said  Loma,  "hence  we 
are  never  troubled  with  such  economic  problems  as 
you  have  on  the  questions  of  money  and  values.  It 
is  the  duty  of  the  state  to  produce  all  the  commodities 
needed  b}^  its  citizens,  and  the  citizen  having  per- 
formed his  duty,  is  entitled  to  have  all  of  his  legitimate 
desires  satisfied.  He  has  no  desires  that  are  not  legit- 
imate, for  he  is  too  well  educated  to  desire  anything 
that  is  not  according  to  the  law  of  mathematical 
equity.  We  use  gold  and  silver  as  we  use  all  other 
metals,  in  manufacturing  desirable  articles,  but  there 
is  no  special  value  set  upon  these  metals.     In  fact, 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  315 

aluminum,  which  is  much  more  common,  but  which 
is  subject  to  a  great  many  more  uses,  is  much  more 
esteemed.  Diamonds  are  worn  as  ornaments,  in  rings 
and  necklaces,  on  formal  occasions.  They  are  all  the 
property  of  the  state,  and  at  the  death  of  a  citizen 
all  of  his  ornaments  revert  to  the  state,  to  be  again 
disposed,  where  worthy  services  have  been  performed. 
Thus  every  woman  who  becomes  pregnant  is  invested 
with  a  diamond  ring  at  the  middle  day  of  her  pregnancy, 
and  at  parturition  she  is  presented  with  a  diamond 
necklace,  which  at  first  bears  a  large  single  stone. 
For  every  citizen  she  bears  for  the  state,  a  diamond 
is  added  to  her  necklace,  and  so  it  is  easy  to  tell  by 
the  jewels  worn  by  a  woman  how  many  jewels  she 
has  given  to  the  state  in  the  form  of  good  citizens. 
The  same  decorations  are  worn  by  fathers,  and  other 
precious  stones  are  used  to  denote  other  services.  I 
did  not  wear  my  decorations  to  the  earth,  for  the 
reason  that  in  the  transit  they  would  have  been  de- 
stroyed. Only  those  bodies  capable  of  developing  a 
high  degree  of  magnetism  can  pass  from  one  planet  to 
another." 

"You  have  said  a  great  deal  about  rewards  that  are 
given  to  your  citizens  for  good  conduct,  both  in  this 
matter  of  decorations  and  in  the  system  of  credit  marks 
in  social  standing,"  said  Myrtle,  "and  the  question  of 
punishment  naturally  suggests  itself.  How  do  you 
correct  delinquents,  and  what  method  do  you  pursue 
in  establishing  guilt?"1 

"The  system  of  complete  education  practically  elim- 
inates delinquency,  and  all  lapses  are  treated  as  mis- 


316  LOMA, 

takes.  There  is  no  occasion  for  punishment,  for  the 
mortification  of  a  bad  performance  is,  in  itself,  suffi- 
cient to  the  educated  person.  Take  your  own  case, 
for  instance.  We  do  not  have  to  threaten  you  with 
punishment,  to  cause  you  to  speak  your  language  cor- 
rectly. I  have  known  you  many  weeks,  and  you  have 
not,  as  yet,  been  guilty  of  a  single  blunder  in  this  de- 
partment of  conduct.  You  speak  correctly  because 
you  have  been  educated  to  do  so,  and  it  has  become 
habitual.  If  you  should  make  a  mistake,  you  would 
be  mortified,  and  all  that  would  be  necessary  to  cause 
you  to  correct  it  would  be  to  call  your  attention  to  it. 
The  credit  marks  and  ornaments  we  use  are  not  given 
as  rewards,  but  simply  as  evidences  of  achievement, 
to  suggest  to  the  young  the  desirability  of  reaching 
a  similarly  high  grade.  Complete  education,  as  prac- 
ticed on  Venus,  completely  destroys  the  possibility  of 
crime,  and  as  the  principal  incentives  to  crime  which 
exist  here  are  removed,  there  is  no  unnatural  pressure 
upon  our  citizens  to  cause  the  various  forms  of  in- 
sanity which  produce  all  the  crimes  with  which  you 
are  afflicted." 

"Is  crime  always  the  result  of  insanity?1'  asked  Mrs. 
Bell. 

"Always,''  replied  Loma.  "There  are  only  two  con- 
ditions which  can  result  in  a  criminal  action,  viz., 
idiocy  and  mania.  Idiocy  is  of  two  kinds,  congenital, 
where  there  is  some  portion  of  the  brain  which  is  im- 
perfectly formed,  and  acquired,  where  there  is  origi- 
nally a  complete  brain,  but  where  some  parts  are  per- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  317 

milted  to  become  paralyzed  through  disuse.  Now,  the 
science  of  Phrenology,  even  in  the  crude  form  in  which 
it  is  practiced  on  this  planet,  discloses  the  fact  that 
the  great  majority  of  your  citizens  come  into  exist- 
ence partially  idiotic.  They  have,  in  most  cases,  suffi- 
cient brain  to  learn  all  of  the  subjects  which  are 
taught  in  your  schools,  but  as  these  subjects  are  very 
limited  in  scope,  and  successive  generations  are  edu- 
cated in  the  same  general  channel,  where  considera- 
ble culture  is  given  to  a  few  faculties,  and  no  culture 
whatever  to  others,  the  deficiencies  are  not  usually 
noticed,  and  you  have  a  great  many  citizens  who  are 
considered  well  educated,  and  mentally  responsible, 
who  are  nevertheless  incapable  of  correct  judgment 
and  moral  action.  A  man  may  read  in  all  languages, 
be  capable  of  excellent  mechanical  skill,  be  a  skillful 
musician,  and  show  great  shrewdness  in  business,  and 
still  be  morally  idiotic,  because  he  has  no  development 
in  certain  other  portions  of  his  brain,  which  enable 
him  when  properly  educated,  to  reason  correctly  on 
the  rights  and  duties  of  persons.  It  is  even  possible, 
that,  when  questioned,  he  might  be  able  to  answer 
correctly  on  the  abstract  moral  question  involved, 
when  he  is  free  from  excitement,  and  yet,  when  he 
is  confronted  with  a  temptation,  he  yields  to  an  irre- 
sistible impulse,  because  the  faculties  which  should 
restrain  him  from  the  commission  of  a  wrong  act  have 
never  been  educated,  and  are  therefore  powerless  to 
act  The  unfortunate  offender  is  arraigned  before  a 
court  and  jury  who  know  nothing  of  these  psycholog- 


318  LOMA, 

ical  problems  or  principles;  the  commission  of  the 
offense  is  fairly  proved,  bnt  the  psychological  condi- 
tion of  the  accused  is  never  considered,  unless  he  pre- 
sents such  evidences  of  insanity  as  amount  to  com- 
plete stupidity  or  actual  mania.  Even  in  the  first 
case,  he  is  usually  condemned  and  hustled  off  to  a 
stupid  punishment,  because  such  unfortunates  are,  as 
a  general  thing,  without  money  or  friends.  In  cases 
of  mania,  your  courts  are  inclined  to  administer  justice, 
but  the  people  frequently  defeat  justice  by  clamor- 
ing for  condign  punishment,  because  they  are  inflamed 
with  the  spirit  of  revenge,  which  is  such  a  conspic- 
uous feature  of  your  religious  education.  Complete 
congenital  idiocy  and  mania  are  recognized  in  your 
courts,  but  the  large  class  of  unfortunates  who  are 
rendered  incapable  of  correct  action  by  congenital  de- 
formity and  insufficient  education  will  continue  to  be 
afflicted  with  inhuman  punishments  until  your  people 
adopt  the  code  of  Gallheim,  as  it  will  be  proclaimed 
by  Myrtle's  offspring,  and  learn  to  study  character 
correctly  and  apply  the  law  of  mathematical  equity 
in  all  classes  of  actions.  Then  they  will  learn  the 
value  of  human  culture  and  apply  it  in  its  complete 
form,  and  there  will  be  no  congenital  idiocy  or  de- 
formity, and  the  adoption  of  correct  habits  of  living 
will  prevent  mania,  as  well  as  all  other  forms  of  dis- 
ease. Then  the  law  of  love  will  be  recognized,  and 
revenge  will  cease  to  be  the  ruling  motive  in  the  en- 
actment and  enforcement  of  law." 

"Then  it  is  a  true  principle,  that  all  corrective  meas- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  3]g 

ures  should  be  remedial  and   reformatory  and   never 
vindictive,"  said  Doctor  Bell. 

"That  is  strictly  tare.     It  is  a  monstrous  injustice 
for  the  state  to  punish  a  citizen,  when  it  has  denied 
to  that  citizen  the  conditions  which  make  it  possible 
for  him  to  have  a  complete  organization  and  a  com- 
plete  education.     A  government  which  cannot  protect 
its  citizens  in  growth  and   development,   and   which 
permits  some  of  the  members  of  society  to  absorb  all 
of  its  benefits  to  the  impoverishment  of  the  majority 
is  worse  than  no  government  at  all.     What,  then!  shall 
we  say  of  a  government  which  derives  a  large  part 
of  its  revenues  from  fostering  and  putting  in  motion 
forces  which  destroy  its  citizens  by  wholesale?     Your 
government  is  the  principal  partner  in  every  distillery 
brewery  and  saloon  in  the  country,  as  well  as  every 
manufactory  of  tobacco,  opium  and  every  other  product 
which  ministers  to  the  vices  of  your  citizens  and  de- 
stroys virtue.     Your  government,  for  a  pecuniary  con- 
sideration in  the  form  of  a.  tax,  grants  to  an  army  of 
unscrupulous  persons  the  right  to  manufacture  and 
sell  products  which  will  destroy  the  health  and  moral 
Character    of    every    citizen    who    is    brought    under 
the*  influence.     By  this  system  of  taxation  and  the 
monopoly  which  is  thereby  created,  the  destruction  of 
humanity  has  become  the  most  profitable  business  in 
the  catalogue  of  your  industries.    It  is   the  lasting 
disgrace  of  your  civilization  that  the  saloon  is  more 
Profitable  than  the  provision  house,  and  that  a  man  can 
become  rich  more  rapidly  by  manufacturing  criminals 


320  LOMA, 

than  by  any  other  industry  known  to  your  commerce. 
The  same  system  has  been  extended  indirectly  to  the 
brothel,  and  among  the  most  profitable  industries  pur- 
sued by  your  citizens  is  that  of  recruiting  and  selling 
into  a  form  of  slavery  worse  than  death,  thousands 
of  young  girls  annually  to  supply  the  ranks  of  prosti- 
tution. It  is  estimated  that  two  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  young  girls  are  now  being  annually  sacri- 
ficed in  the  United  States.  With  the  saloon  on  the 
corner,  the  brothel  in  the  rear,  the  tobacco  stand  on 
the  sidewalk  and  the  courthouse  and  jail  across  the 
street,  all  of  them  managed  in  partnership  by  your 
government,  the  wonder  is,  that  any  citizen  can  walk 
the  street  without  falling  into  crime,  and  experiencing 
some  form  of  the  vicious  penalties  which  disgrace  your 
statute  books." 

"Our  reformers  recognize  the  truthfulness  of  your 
observations,"  said  Mrs.  Bell,  "and  many  experiments 
have  been  tried  to  reduce  the  evil  of  intemperance, 
but  so  far  these  efforts  have  not  been  successful.  I 
should  like  very  much  to  have  your  views  on  the  sub- 
jects of  prohibition,  license,  moral  suasion  and  such 
other  remedies  as  we  have  tried,  and  also  what  you 
consider  to  be  the  correct  remedy  for  the  evil.  We 
are  generally  agreed  that  until  the  curse  of  intemper- 
ance is  banished,  we  cannot  have  any  substantial  or 
lasting  reform  in  any  direction.'' 

"Prohibition  is  wrong  in  principle,  whether  it  be 
directed  against  intemperance  or  any  other  crime.  It 
is  folly  to  prohibit  any  wrong  action,  as  long  as  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  321 

state  is  engaged  in  producing  conditions  which  impel 
its  citizens  to  the  commission  of  the  acts  prohibited. 
Hut  in  this  respect,  your  state  follows  the  example 
of  your  God,  who  is  represented  as  prohibiting  cer- 
tain actions,  and  then  creating  men  and  women  in 
such  a  condition  as  insures  the  commission  of  the  pro- 
hibited actions.  This  is  your  conception  of  justice, 
and  until  you  learn  better,  both  in  religion  and  state- 
craft, you  will  continue  to  suffer  the  consequences  of 
injustice.  You  cannot  legislate  away  the  inherited  or 
acquired  propensities  of  the  citizen.  The  only  way 
in  which  these  propensities  can  be  changed,  is  by  edu- 
cation, and  this  must  be  commenced  in  the  youth  of 
the  citizen.  Now,  your  government  stands  in  the 
position  of  a  national  educator  in  vice.  It  licenses 
the  saloon,  the  tobacco  stand,  and  practically  licenses 
the  brothel,  and  the  youth  of  your  land  are  instructed, 
by  the  very  presence  of  the  sumptuous  palaces  of  sin, 
which  are  constantly  frequented  by  those  who  hold 
high  places  among  you,  that  it  is  elegant,  respectable 
and  correct  to  patronize  them.  The  feeble  efforts 
which  are  put  forth  by  your  churches  are,  as  a  rule, 
only  advertisements  of  these  evils  by  attracting  atten- 
tion to  them.  While  a  very  small  contingent  of  your 
youth  is  kept  from  temptation  by  good  inlluences,  the 
majority  is  constantly  drawn  into  the  meshes  of  evil, 
and  if  it  were  not  for  the  inherent  goodness  of  your 
young  manhood  and  womanhood,  the  results  would  be 
frightfully  worse.     It  is  not  the  result  of  your  la  ws,  your 

system  of  morals  or  your  religions  training    that  your 
21 


322  LOMA, 

citizens  are  not  wholly  given  over  to  indulgence,  for 
all  of  these  are  hopelessly  inefficient  and  are  working 
on  a  wrong  principle.  It  is  the  natural  good  sense 
of  a  large  number  of  your  young  people  which  keeps 
them  out  of  evil  practices,  and  their  natural  suscepti- 
bility to  education  causes  them  to  observe  and  avoid 
evil.  But  as  long  as  men  are  paid  princely  salaries  in 
breweries  to  drug  the  liquor,  so  as  to  enslave  the  appe- 
tites of  the  consumer,  and  as  long  as  men  are  gov- 
erned by  the  acquisitive  instinct  in  its  uneducated 
form,  which  prompts  them  to  trade  in  human  flesh 
and  blood  for  pecuniary  gain,  it  is  useless  to  attempt 
to  stem  the  tide  of  evil  by  prohibitory  measures.  The 
only  form  of  prohibition  which  can  be  effective  is  that 
which  conies  to  the  individual  citizen  by  the  action  of 
an  enlightened  conscience.  Before  you  can  have  an 
enlightened  public  conscience,  there  must  be  a  gen- 
eral and  complete  education  of  your  citizens.  As  long 
as  the  education  of  your  citizens  on  moral  questions  is 
left  to  the  feeble  and  ridiculous  methods  of  your 
churches,  you  will  have  no  development  of  the  sense  of 
justice." 

"What  immediate  policy  would  you  recommend  to 
our  reformers  as  the  best  to  pursue  in  relation  to  the 
liquor  traffic?"  inquired  Mrs.  Bell. 

"Instead  of  advocating  prohibition,  or  merely  con- 
fining your  efforts  to  moral  suasion,  which  latter 
policy  is  well  enough  as  an  educating  force  as  far  as 
it  goes,  the  temperance  advocates  should  make  a  vig- 
orous war  on  the  partnership  of  the  government  in 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  323 

the  saloons.  License  is  simply  the  com  pounding  of 
the  crime.  High  license  makes  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  liquor  profitable,  by  creating  a  monopoly,  and 
this  results  in  the  making  of  tippling  a  luxury,  which 
it  is  fashionable  and  popular  to  cultivate.  It  is  en- 
tirely to  this  fact  that  the  practice  of  treating  owes 
its  popularity.  Now,  if  the  government  would  with- 
draw its  protection,  and  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
liquor  were  free  to  every  citizen,  large  quantities  of 
pure  and  unadulterated  stimulants  would  be  produced 
and  for  a  while  the  consumption  would  be  greater 
among  those  upon  whom  the  habit  is  firmly  fixed,  but 
the  consequences  would  not  be  as  serious  as  they  are 
now,  for  the  liquor  would  not  be  poisoned.  The  univer- 
sal cheapening  of  the  product,  and  the  freedom  with 
which  it  could  be  obtained,  would  destroy  the  saloon, 
and  the  practice  of  treating  would  disappear.  When  it 
became  common,  it  would  cease  to  be  fashionable,  and 
then  your  efforts  in  the  line  of  moral  suasion  and  edu- 
cation would  become  effective.  It  would  take  one  gen 
■e ration  to  reduce  the  consumption,  another  to  develop 
the  educational  influences  required,  and  the  third  gen- 
eration would  be  entirely  free  from  the  vice,  and 
would  have  concurrently  advanced  to  the  same  high 
plane  along  other  lines,  in  which  the  same  rational 
policy  had  been  pursued.  That  was  the  history  of 
the  movement  upon  our  planet,  after  the  code  of  Gall- 
heim  began  to  be  generally  adopted  by  the  barbarians. 
The  followers  of  that  distinguished  philosopher,  how 
ever,  reached  a  much  more  immediate  result,  by  the 


324  LOMA, 

formation  of  their  society,  in  which  the  laws  of  cor- 
rect living  were  studied  and  applied,  and  as  soon  as 
they  were  established  they  were  at  once  adopted  and 
practiced  by  the  entire  membership.  It  was  easy  for 
them  to  adopt  reforms,  because  they  had  ceased  to 
struggle  for  riches,  and  the  society  guaranteed  to  every 
member  everything  that  he  needed.  The  trouble  with 
reforms  on  this  planet  is,  that  your  citizens  are  so 
wholly  given  to  the  consideration  of  money  getting, 
that  you  have  sold  your  consciences,  your  self-respect 
and  your  entire  moral  character  to  the  forces  of  evil. 
The  destruction  of  the  saloon  and  similar  institutions 
means  that  your  so-called  respectable  citizens  will  have 
to  pay  higher  taxes,  temporarily.  I  say  temporarily, 
for  it  would  only  be  a  short  time  before  the  reduction 
in  crime  and  misery  would  more  than  compensate  for 
the  increase  in  the  tax  rate.  But  your  citizens  are  not 
interested  in  the  suppression  of  crime  and  misery  as 
much  as  they  are  in  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  If  a 
citizen  finds  that  his  taxes  are  being  increased  to  a 
small  degree,  he  is  seized  with  a  spasm,  and  the  admin- 
istration which  increases  the  comfort  of  the  great  mass 
of  citizens  at  the  expense  of  the  taxpayer  is  doomed. 
It  is  a  melancholy  coniinentary  on  your  civilization, 
that  any  form  of  vice  can  flourish  if  it  is  able  to  pay 
a  heavy  tax,  and  your  cities  vie  with  each  other  in 
offering  premiums  to  demoralizing  enterprises  and 
brutal  exhibitions,  whenever  it  can  be  shown  that  they 
will  bring  with  them  a  large  crowd  of  persons,  no  mat- 
ter how  vicious,  who  will  spend  money.     Until  your  cit- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  325 

izens  learn  the  law  of  mathematical  equity,  and  become 
convinced  that  every  evil  act  brings  its  own  punish- 
ment, and  that  the  law  of  ethics  cannot  be  violated 
without  disaster,  you  will  have  these  conditions.  The 
state  must  learn  that  it  cannot  suppress  crime  until  it 
ceases  to  be  criminal  itself  in  its  policy." 

"I  should  infer  from  the  principles  that  you  have  an 
nounced  in  this  lesson,  that  capital  punishment,  im- 
prisonment for  life,  and,  in  fact,  every  punishment 
which  is  inflicted  in  the  spirit  of  retribution,  is  radi- 
cally wrong,"  said  Myrtle. 

"That  is  exactly  the  impression  that  I  wish  to  con- 
vey," said  Loma.  "These  punishments  are  all  in  the 
nature  of  prohibitory  measures,  directed  against  con- 
ditions that  cannot  be  successfully  prohibited  until 
society  ceases  to  foster  them.  The  nature  of  the  pun- 
ishment is  a  natural  outgrowth  of  the  doctrine  of  eter- 
nal and  unmerciful  cruelty  which  is  preached  as  one 
of  the  attributes  of  the  God  which  your  people  are  in- 
structed to  worship.  The  ideas  of  retribution,  revenge 
and  atonement  must  be  eliminated  from  the  public 
mind,  before  you  can  form  an  adequate  idea  of  justice. 
I  will  analyze  some  of  your  most  brutal  expressions  of 
retributive  punishment  and  see  in  what  they  originate, 
and  what  consequences  are  inevitable. 

"The  worst  form  of  retributive  punishment  which 
has  become  common  in  this  country,  is  the  burning  and 
torturing  of  negroes  in  the  South  for  the  crime  of  rape. 
It  has  occurred  so  frequently  of  late,  that  even  your 
sluggish  public  conscience  is  becoming  awakened  to 


326  LOMA, 

the  enormity  of  the  crime,  by  the  side  of  which  the 
original  crime  of  the  rapist  pales  into  insignificance. 
The  negro  who  commits  the  rape  is  usually  a  low  bru- 
talized type,  frequently  crazed  by  liquor  which  is  sold 
to  him  by  the  community  without  protest,  and  his  con- 
dition is  the  natural  outgrowth  of  the  brutalizing  and 
degrading  institution  of  slavery,  which  was  so  long 
practiced  in  this  country.  The  community  in  which  he 
resides  has  given  him  little  chance  for  improvement. 
He  is  not  encouraged  to  rise  above  the  condition  of  the 
slave  by  education  or  social  intercourse.  The  commu- 
nity permits  him  to  be  surrounded  by  every  form  of 
education  in  vice,  and  discourages  his  elevation,  while 
it  grants  him  the  opportunity  to  commit  the  crime.  In 
this  condition  he  commits  the  crime  of  rape,  perhaps 
ander  circumstances  of  great  atrocity,  which  are  in 
themselves  the  best  evidences  of  his  insanity,  and  thisi 
insanity  is  the  direct  result  of  his  environment,  for 
which  the  community  is  responsible.  If  the  law  of 
justice  were  strictly  applied,  the  community  would  be 
found  responsible  for  the  rape  and  not  the  negro.  How- 
ever, he  is  caught  by  an  infuriated  mob,  and  we  will 
admit  that  the  proof  of  his  commission  of  the  act  is 
clear.  The  sentiment  of  the  community  is  in  favor  of 
retributive  punishment.  They  worship  a  God  who 
deals  largely  in  that  commodity.  He  is  paraded  around 
the  public  square,  before  assembled  thousands.  Men, 
women  and  children  witness  the  spectacle,  and  he  is 
tortured  and  burned  under  the  mistaken  impression 
that  the  example  will  deter  others  from  the  commis- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  327 

sion  of  similar  offenses.  But  it  produces  an  entirely 
opposite  effect.  While  it  may  deter  a  few  timid 
negroes  from  the  commission  of  crimes  of  a  similar 
nature,  for  a  short  period  of  time,  immediately  follow- 
ing the  outrage,  the  subsequent  consequences  are  dis- 
astrous. An  entire  community  has  been  educated  in 
brutality.  Pregnant  women  by  the  score  have  been 
impressed  with  horrible  conditions.  A  monstrous  ob- 
ject lesson  in  injustice  has  been  given  to  the  young 
who  witnessed  the  spectacle.  The  instincts  of  kind- 
ness, forbearance,  friendship  and  love  have  been 
blunted  in  the  organizations  of  hundreds,  if  not  thou- 
sands of  citizens,  who  have,  on  the  other  hand,  been 
stimulated  to  deeds  of  violence,  hatred,  vindictiveness 
and  cruelty.  Veneration' for  law  and  established  forms 
of  judicial  procedure  is  destroyed  and  a  premium  set 
upon  lawlessness  The  result  is  a  long  train  of  calam- 
ities to  the  community,  which  is  never  fully  appreci- 
ated, for  the  full  effect  of  the  reaction  is  not  felt  for 
years,  and  the  series  of  crimes  and  evils  that  result 
are  not  attributed  to  the  true  cause.  Let  me  illustrate 
with  a  single  example.  A  pregnant  woman  witnesses 
such  an  outrage  and  rejoices  in  the  cruelty  which  is 
inflicted  on  what  she  considers  a  human  monster.  She 
impresses  her  offspring  with  the  spirit  of  vindictive- 
ness. In  childhood  he  manifests  it  by  burning  and  tor- 
turing animals  and  playmates.  He  has  an  ungovern- 
able and  disagreeable  temper  which  embitters  his  whole 
life.  He  reaches  manhood  and  becomes  a  seducer  of 
women  and  a  violent,  quarrelsome  man.     His  whole 


328  LOMA, 

career  is  marked  by  violence  and  crime,  and  his  history 
is  infinitely  worse  than  that  of  the  unfortunate  and 
brutalized  negro  whose  execution  and  torture  is  re- 
sponsible for  his  own  unhappy  condition.  He  leaves 
a  progeny  of  five  daughters,  who  are,  like  himself,  vio- 
lent, unchaste  and  ungovernable,  and  who  lead  crim- 
inal lives  and  become  the  mothers  of  criminals.  He 
finally  terminates  his  career  on  the  gallows,  after  the 
commission  of  some  horrible  atrocity  which  is  worse 
than  that  of  which  the  negro  was  guilty.  Now,  if  you 
will  consider,  that  this  is  only  one  of  the  results  which 
may  flow  from  such  an  outrage,  and  consider  further 
that  instead  of  one  witness,  there  are  usually  not  less 
than  ten  or  twenty  thousand,  all  of  whom  are  exposed 
to  consequences  as  awful  as  those  I  have  described,  it 
is  possible  to  form  a  remote  conception  of  the  fearful 
injustice  and  inexpediency  of  retributive  punishment." 

"What  is  the  proper  procedure  in  such  a  case?"  said 
Doctor  Bell. 

"Kindness  and  restraint.  The  state  must  recognize 
that  whenever  a  crime  is  committed,  the  state  and  not 
the  individual  is  responsible.  There  has  been  a  defect, 
either  in  the  generation  or  the  education  of  the  crim- 
inal. If  the  defect  can  be  remedied,  he  is  entitled  to  a 
cure,  and  if  not,  he  must  be  gently  and  kindly  re- 
strained from  the  commission  of  future  offenses.  'It 
is  a  true  principle  that  the  exhibition  of  love  and  for- 
bearance generates  goodness,  exactly  as  the  exhibition 
of  hatred  and  violence  generates  evil.  The  state  is  the 
worst  criminal  in  society,  and  until  it  is  reformed  there 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  329 

is  little  hope  tor  the  citizen.  The  practice  of  capital 
punishment,  when  performed  legally,  is  open  to  all  the 
objections  that  I  have  stated  as  applying  to  the  prac- 
tice of  burning  and  torture,  except  as  it  is  modified  in 
the  brutality  of  the  exhibition.  Public  hangings  are 
nearly  as  bad  as  public  burnings.  Private  executions 
are  only  less  evil,  as  they  are  witnessed  by  a  smaller 
audience.  Electrocution  is  merely  a  modification  of 
the  same  evil.  Imprisonment  for  life  is  a  monstrous 
exhibition  of  cruelty  and  injustice,  the  legitimate  off- 
spring of  the  detestable  doctrine  of  eternal  imprison- 
ment in  hell.  Imprisonment  for  long  terms  of  years 
for  trivial  offenses  against  property  or  person  is  a  con- 
stant lesson  in  injustice,  and  it  is  a  wonder  that  the 
moral  sense  of  your  citizens  is  not  wholly  obliterated 
by  the  constant  appeal  that  is  made  to  fear,  while  no 
appeal  is  made  or  education  given  to  the  sense  of  jus- 
tice." 


CHAPTER   XXI. 


FOUR  GREAT  MISTAKES  CORRECTED. 

"It  is  inconceivable  that  inanimate  brute  matter  should, 
without  the  mediation  of  something  else  which  is  not  mate- 
rial, operate  upon  and  affect  other  matter,  without  mutual 
contact,  as  it  must  do  if  gravitation,  in  the  sense  of  Epicurus, 
be  essential  and  inherent  in  it.  And  this  is  the  reason  why  I  de- 
sire you  would  not  ascribe  innate  gravity  to  me.  That  grav- 
ity should  be  innate,  inherent  and  essential  in  matter,  so  that 
one  body  may  act  upon  another  at  a  distance,  through  a 
vacuum,  without  the  mediation  of  anything  else  by  and 
through  which  their  action  may  be  conveyed  from  one  to  an- 
other, is  to  me  so  great  an  absurdity  that  I  believe  no  man 
who  has  in  philosophical  matters  a  competent  faculty  of  think- 
ing can  ever  fall  into  it.  Gravity  must  be  caused  by  an  agent 
acting  according  to  certain  laws;  but,  whether  this  agent  be 
material  or  immaterial,  I  have  left  to  the  consideration  of  my 
readers."  — Newton. 

At  various  times  during  his  tuition  of  Myrtle,  Lonia 
had  unfolded  to  her  the  mysteries  of  astronomy,  in 
which  he  was  an  expert.  His  great  abilities  as  a 
teacher,  and  the  interest  with  which  his  delightful 
personality  invested  every  subject  upon  which  he  con- 
versed, made  the  contemplation  of  the  heavens  under 
his  guidance  a  pleasure  more  than  a  task,  and  filled 
the  mind  of  Myrtle  with  sublime  raptures.  He  did  not 
burden  her  with  mathematical  problems,  but  rather 
directed  her  intelligence  to  the  comprehension  of  flic 
true  theory  of  the  creation  of  the  universe,  and  the 

(331) 


332  LOMA, 

contemplation  of  its  simplicity  and  grandeur.  In  this 
way  her  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  and  the  sublime 
was  increased,  and  her  worship  of  the  good,  the  true 
and  the  beautiful  in  Nature  impressed  her  offspring 
with  those  faculties  which  would  enable  him  to  compre- 
hend the  same  subjects  and  give  him  power  to  speak 
and  write  in  the  loftiest  strains.  In  the  course  of  his 
instruction,  Loma  had  imparted  to  her  all  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  sublime  philosophy  of  the  genesis 
of  worlds,  the  nature  of  space  and  matter  and  their 
sexual  affinities,  as  expressed  in  electricity  and  mag- 
netism, together  with  the  causes  of  heat  and  light, 
which  he  had  so  graphically  explained  to  Doctor  Bell 
on  the  second  day  of  his  sojourn  on  the  earth.  Myrtle 
was  an  apt  pupil,  and  while  she  received  each  startling 
disclosure  with  girlish  delight  and  wonder,  her  prac- 
tical intellect  absorbed  the  information,  and  she  soon 
became  able  to  converse  on  these  grand  topics  with 
brilliancy  and  effect. 

Doctor  Bell  was  no  less  enthusiastic  than  Myrtle  in 
this  part  of  Loma's  instructions.  Shortly  after  the  ar- 
rival of  Loma  upon  the  earth  he  had  caused  a  small 
observatory  to  be  constructed  upon  the  roof  of  his  resi- 
dence and  had  equipped  it  with  all  the  necessary  instru- 
ments for  elementary  studies,  such  as  Loma  designed 
to  impart.  A  fine  six-inch  equatorial  telescope  had 
been  purchased  and  mounted  in  this  observatory,  and 
many  delightful  evenings  were  spent  under  Loma's  di- 
rection in  the  practical  observation  of  the  wonders  of 
the  heavens.     This  telescope,  as  may  be  supposed,  was 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  333 

most  frequently  turned  upon  Venus,  which  planet 
Myrtle,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  family,  had  invested 
with  more  than  affectionate  interest. 

Doctor  Bell  had  also  set  apart  one  of  the  commodious 
rooms  of  his  residence  as  a  physical  laboratory  and  had 
equipped  it  with  all  the  apparatus  necessary  for  the 
practical  study  of  physics  and  chemistry.  He  found 
the  tutorship  of  Loma  invaluable  to  himself  in  his  pro- 
fessional work,  and  he  became  as  enthusiastic  in  the 
study  of  the  advanced  problems  of  these  sciences  as 
Myrtle  was  in  the  more  elementary  work.  Loma  had 
explained  that  the  elementary  studies  pursued  by  Myr- 
tle at  this  time  would  serve  the  purpose  of  impressing 
her  offspring  with  the  necessary  capacity  for  the  com- 
prehension of  the  subjects,  while  the  advanced  studies 
pursued  by  Doctor  Bell  would  fit  him  to  become  the 
instructor  of  the  coming  prodigy  when  he  arrived  at 
the  proper  age  to  pursue  these  branches. 

Loma  illustrated  his  instructions  wdth  brilliant  ex- 
periments which  fascinated  his  pupils  and  kept  them 
in  a  constant  state  of  wonder  and  admiration.  His 
perfect  powTers  of  analysis  and  description,  added  to  his 
wonderful  stock  of  knowledge,  which  represented  the 
advanced  stage  of  development  upon  Venus,  no  less 
than  his  loving  and  genial  companionship,  made  the 
experience  of  his  pupils  a  never-failing  source  of  enter- 
tainment, instruction  and  happiness. 

It  happened  that  while  Myrtle  was  deeply  engaged  in 
these  studies  Doctor  Bell  received  a  visit  from  one 
of  his  intimate  friends,  a  former  classmate  in  the 


334  LOMA. 

University  of  Michigan,  and  at  present  one  of  the 
expert  astronomers  of  the  Washburn  Observatory  at 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  connected  with  the  University  of 
that  state.  This  gentleman,  Professor  George  Hamil- 
ton, became  at  once  greatly  interested  in  Loma,  whom 
he  immediately  recognized  as  a  person  of  superior 
attainments,  and  as  he  remained  several  days  as  the 
guest  of  Doctor  Bell,  the  acquaintance  soon  ripened 
into  warm  friendship.  Toward  Myrtle  the  professor 
was  genial  and  polite,  but  like  many  scientific  students, 
he  had  allowed  his  scientific  proclivities  to  develop 
at  the  expense  of  his  social  faculties,  and  he  was  not 
inclined  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in  the  society 
of  ladies  if  he  could  avoid  it.  He  found,  however,  that 
the  best  time  to  get  Loma  to  expound  his  remarkable 
philosophy  was  when  the  ladies  were  present,  and  he 
submitted  to  the  conditions  with  a  good  grace.  But 
one  day  at  dinner,  he  laughingly  remarked : 

"I  see  that  Doctor  Loma  is  attracted  to  the  society 
of  you  ladies,  as  inevitably  as  matter  is  attracted  to 
matter." 

"I  fear  if  such  were  the  case  that  I  should  be  de- 
prived of  the  delights  of  their  association,"  said  Loma, 
"for  the  principle  you  have  used  as  a  comparison  is  in- 
correct." 

"Do  you  mean  that  matter  does  not  attract  matter?" 
inquired  the  professor. 

"Precisely.  Matter  never  attracts  matter,  and  to 
assert  that  it  does  is  to  violate  the  universal  principle 
that  likes  never  attract  each  other  but  always  repel. 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  335 

Consequently  matter  always  repels  matter  instead  of 
attracting  it." 

"You  astonish  me.  I  have  supposed  that  the  prin- 
ciple that  matter  attracts  matter  was  as  well  estab- 
lished as  the  fact  that  the  earth  revolves  on  its  axis." 

"Both  are  equally  incorrect,"  said  Loma  with  a  smile, 
while  the  professor  regarded  him  with  amazement. 

"This  is  getting  interesting,"  said  the  professor,  at 
last.  "If  I  did  not  know  you  to  be  a  philosopher  of 
no  mean  merit,  I  would  be  inclined  to  regard  you  as 
a  crank,  for  you  are  denying  the  two  principles  upon 
which  astronomy  has  based  its  greatest  triumphs. 
But  knowing  your  character,  I  cannot  afford  to  let 
your  statements  pass  unchallenged,  and  I  ask  you  to 
be  explicit.  If  matter  does  not  attract  matter,  then 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  was  wrong  in  his  theory  of  the  law 
of  gravitation,  and  the  foundation  of  our  philosophy  is 
destroyed.  In  view  of  the  fact,  that  our  profession, 
resting  upon  the  correctness  of  his  theory,  has 
reached  out  into  space  and  discovered  a  planet  which 
eluded  the  telescope  until  it  was  located  with  mathe- 
matical certainty  by  the  application  of  the  Newtonian 
philosophy,  I  feel  secure  in  the  statement  that  you 
have  committed  yourself  to  a  doctrine  you  cannot 
maintain." 

"Sir  Isaac  Newton  is  merely  the  example  of  an 
astute  philosopher,  who  is  right  in  his  practice,  while 
he  is  wrong  in  his  theory  and  explanation,"  answered 
Loma.  "He  did  not  comprehend  the  nature  of  matter 
and  space,  nor  of  magnetism  and  electricity,  and  hence 


336  LOMA. 

in  observing  the  operation  of  these  forces,  he  was  led 
into  a  wrong  statement.  But  he  never  taught  the 
doctrine  which  has  been  ascribed  to  him,  that  matter 
has  an  innate  attraction  for  other  matter,  at  a  distance 
without  contact,  or  the  intervention  of  some  other 
medium.  Before  you  can  understand  the  true  theory, 
you  must  be  informed  as  to  these  matters  yourself, 
or  my  explanations  would  be  futile.  I  will  there- 
fore begin  at  the  foundation  of  things,  by  remark- 
ing that  all  worlds  are  the  product  of  growth,  the  off- 
spring of  the  two  grand,  prime,  genitive  potencies, 
space  and  matter,  which  have  always  existed,  and 
will  always  exist,  in  precisely  the  same  quantity 
in  which  they  now  exist,  but  in  constantly  changing 
conditions.  Space  is  the  eternal,  omnipresent,  per- 
sistent and  continuous  female  parent  of  all  that  is. 
Matter  is  the  eternal,  limited,  consistent  and  divisible 
male  element  which  occupies  only  a  part  of  space,  and 
is  continually  striving  to  fill  it,  but  never  succeeds. 
There  is  a  genitive  passion  in  matter  for  space,  and  a 
genitive  passion  in  space  for  matter.  Space  continually 
generates  this  passion  in  the  form  of  electricity,  which 
is  manifested  by  the  states  of  receptivity,  gravity  and 
coldness.  Matter  continually  generates  this  passion 
in  the  form  of  magnetism,  which  is  manifested  by  the 
states  of  radiation,  vibration  and  warmth.  If  you 
will  recognize  the  fact  that  each  planet  or  star  is  a 
body  of  matter  contained  in  space,  but  not  filling  it, 
and  acting  as  a  center  of  magnetic  radiation,  and  that 
among  these  centers  of  radiation  are  great  volumes 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  337 

of  matterless  space,  which  furnish  corresponding  cen- 
ters of  electrical  receptivity,  and  that  each  subjective 
center  of  magnetic  radiation  has  a  special  objective 
center  of  electrical  receptivity,  toward  which  it  is  im- 
pelled by  the  eternal  affinity  of  matter  for  space,  as 
expressed  in  these  passional  attributes,  and  that  for 
this  reason  these  centers  are  constantly  changing 
their  positions  in  space,  you  will  have  comprehended 
the  fundamental  principle  which  lies  at  the  base  of 
philosophy,  and  accounts  for  the  constant  mutations 
of  matter  as  expressed  in  motions  of  all  kinds.  This 
leads  to  the  statement  of  the  true  law  of  gravitation, 
which  is  that  matter  is  always  attracted  toward  the  cen- 
ter of  electrical  receptivity  which  is  the  center  of  its  own 
sphere  of  organization." 

"In  the  absence  of  some  restraining  force,  matter 
always  organizes  itself  into  spheres.  This  absence 
of  a  restraining  force  can  only  exist  where  there  is  an 
equilibrium  between  magnetism  and  electricity,  be- 
cause where  either  preponderates  there  would  be  a 
controlling  and  hence  a  restraining  force.  When  this 
equilibrium  exists,  we  have  the  fluid  state  of  matter; 
when  electricity  preponderates  it  becomes  solid,  when 
magnetism  dominates  it  becomes  gaseous.  But  in  the 
state  of  electro-magnetic  equilibrium  matter  always 
assumes  a  spherical  shape,  because  the  particles  of 
matter  instantly  arrange  themselves  around  a  center 
of  electrical  receptivity.  As  soon  as  this  organization 
is  perfected,  the  sphere  moves  toward  another  center 


338  LOMA, 

of  electrical  receptivity  which  is  the  center  of  the  next 
higher  form  of  organization  and  so  ad  infinitum?'' 

"Assuming,  as  the  atomical  theory  does,  that  the 
atom  is  the  smallest  possible  division  of  matter,  the 
molecule  is  the  first  arrangement  of  atoms  around  a 
center  of  electrical  receptivity.  In  the  case  of  a  sub- 
stance of  matter  in  a  state  of  electro-magnetic  equi- 
librium, as  water  in  the  fluid  state,  you  will  find 
that  these  molecules  arrange  themselves  into  another 
sphere  in  the  form  of  the  drop.  Small  drops  will 
coalesce  into  another  superior  sphere  and  form  a  large 
drop,  and  this  organization  will  go  on  indefinitely  until 
a  restraining  force  is  encountered.  It  is  in  this  way 
that  star  germs  are  produced  at  last,  and  it  is  by  con- 
tinued accretions  and  crystallization  that  they  grow. 
As  soon  as  electricity  dominates  over  mag-netism,  the 
process  of  crystallization  occurs,  and  the  matter  be- 
comes hard. 

"Now,  right  here  occurs  a  truism,  which  your  philoso- 
phers have  recognized,  but  have  not  accounted  for, 
and  that  is,  that  the  atoms  of  matter  do  not  touch 
each  other,  but  are  separated  by  spaces,  inconceivably 
small,  but  still  sufficient  to  keep  the  atoms  apart.  If 
this  were  not  true,  there  could  be  no  motion  among 
the  atoms,  and  the  theory  depends  on  this  fact  for  its 
explanation  of  phenomena.  Now  if  the  atoms  attract 
each  other,  this  could  not  possibly  be  true,  for  they 
would  cohere  eternally  and  compactly,  and  there  could 
be  no  mutation.     The  truth  is  that  every  atom  is  sur- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  339 

rounded  by  an  aura  of  magnetism,  which  repels  and  sep- 
arates it  from  every  other  atom. 

"The  pressure  of  other  atoms  surrounding  it,  which 
are  seeking  the  same  center  of  electrical  receptivity, 
causes  cohesion,  and  the  process  of  crystallization  pro- 
duces solidity.  Now,  if  sufficient  heat  is  applied  to 
cause  magnetism  to  equal  electricity,  the  fluid  state  will 
be  restored,  and  if  the  heat  is  increased  until  mag- 
netism dominates  over  electricity,  the  matter  will  be 
restored  to  its  previous  gaseous  condition,  which  is 
simply  the  expansion  of  the  magnetic  auras  of  the 
atoms  until  spheres  are  disorganized.  In  neither 
case  is  there  any  attraction  of  matter  for  mat- 
ter, but  always  a  repulsion.  However,  as  there 
is  always,  in  any  organized  body  of  matter,  a  cen- 
ter of  electrical  receptivity,  there  is  an  apparent 
attraction  of  other  particles  of  matter,  because  these 
particles  seek  the  same  center.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
however,  they  can  only  approach  within  a  limited  dis- 
tance of  each  other,  when  their  magnetic  auras  hold 
them  apart.  As  the  force  with  which  two  bodies  of 
matter  will  approach  a  common  center  of  electrical 
receptivity  and  organize  themselves  into  the  same 
sphere  varies  directly  as  the  separate  spheres  of  the 
bodies  under  consideration,  which  corresponds  to  their 
respective  masses  and  inversely  as  the  square  of  the 
distance  between  the  centers  of  their  separate  spheres, 
you  see  that  the  law  of  gravitation  as  practiced  by  your 
astronomers  has  been  correct  as  to  its  mathematical 
practice  while  it  has  been  ascribed  to  incorrect  causes. 


340  LOMA, 

Iii  other  words,  you  have  ignored  the  true  relation  of 
particles  of  matter  toward  each  other,  while  you  have 
calculated  correctly  their  behavior  toward  their  re- 
spective centers  of  electrical  receptivity." 

"Well,  I  declare,"  exclaimed  Professor  Hamilton, 
"you  have  certainly  put  forth  a  most  plausible  expla- 
nation of  a  theory  which  I  was  at  first  inclined  to  re- 
gard as  merely  visionary.  But  how  do  you  explain  the 
fact  that  if  a  piece  of  sealing  wax  is  electrified  by  rub- 
bing it  with  a  piece  of  flannel  and  then  presented  to 
two  small  balls  of  pith,  the  balls  will  first  be  attracted 
to  the  electrified  sealing  wax  and  afterward  repelled 
both  from  it  and  from  each  other?  This  certainly 
seems  to  prove  that  under  certain  conditions  matter 
attracts  matter,  and  also  that  when  electrified,  matter 
repels  matter." 

"You  should  say  that  the  sealing  wax  and  the  pith 
balls  are  'magnetized,'  instead  of  'electrified,' "  said 
Loma.  "All  of  your  nomenclature  is  incorrect  on  elec- 
trical subjects,  because  you  do  not  recognize  the  true 
nature  of  electricity  and  magnetism,  and  consequently 
you  are  constantly  putting  forth  false  explanations  of 
the  phenomena.  The  exceedingly  mobile  force  which 
is  developed  when  matter  is  subjected  to  friction,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  sealing  wax,  and  as  is  the  case  with 
electrical  machines,  so  called,  or  when  it  is  developed 
by  chemical  action,  as  in  a  battery,  is  the  magnetism  of 
matter.  The  corresponding  degree  of  genitive  passion 
which  exists  in  space  is  electricity.  When  sealing  wax 
or  glass  is  subjected  to  friction  by  certain  kinds  of 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.      '  341 

material,  notably  flannel  or  silk,  a  high  degree  of  this 
passion  is  generated,  and  the  radiation  of  magnetism  is 
increased  by  the  friction   which  produces  vibration. 
The  pith  balls  are  in  a  state  of  gravity,  coldness  and 
receptivity,  and  when  the  excited  substance  is  brought 
near  them  a  mutual  attraction  exists  as  it  always  does 
in  bodies  that  are  in  opposite  conditions.     The  mag- 
netism from  the  excited  substance  passes  into  the  pith 
balls,  and  they  are  changed  from  a  state  in  which  elec- 
tricity dominated  over  magnetism  to  a  state  in  which 
magnetism   dominates   over  electricity.     As   soon   as 
this  condition  is  reached  they  are  in  a  state  of  repul- 
sion from  the  originally  excited  substance,  and  from 
each  other,  according  to  the  law  that  bodies  in  a  simi- 
lar condition  universally  repel  each  other,  while  those 
which  are  in  an  opposite  condition  invariably  attract." 
"You  astonish  me,"  said  Professor  Hamilton    with 
great  interest.     "Your  theory  seems  to  be  consistent 
as  far  as  we  have  gone,  but  it  is  so  new  and  so  radically 
different  from  the  accepted  teachings  of  the  schools 
that  I  am  obliged  to  press  you  further.    I  shall  Be 
under  obligations  to  you  if  you  will  enlighten  me  fully" 
as  to  your  remarkable  doctrines.     I  am  always  willing 
to  learn,  and  if  I  can  obtain  any  information  from  you 
which  will  aid  me  in  my  professional  employment  or 
shed  new  light  on  any  of  the  problems  in  which  my 
profession  is  interested,  I  shall  forever  consider  my- 
self your  debtor." 

"If  you  investigate  my  theories,"  said  Loma,  "you 
will  reconstruct  nearly  your  entire  professional  equip- 


342  LOMA. 

ment,  for  nearly  all  the  accepted  theories  respecting 
physical  astronomy  are  radically  erroneous.  To  be 
brief,  and  at  the  same  time  astonish  you,  I  will  remark 
that  the  results  to  which  this  investigation  will  lead 
you  are  as  follows : 

"First — That  the  law  of  gravitation  as  stated  by 
Newton  is  entirely  wrong,  upon  the  grounds  I  have 
already  stated. 

"Second — That  the  sun  does  not  attract,  but  con- 
stantly repels  the  planets  that  surround  him,  and  that 
the  earth  does  not  attract  the  moon,  nor  does  any  body 
of  matter  ever  attract  any  other  body. 

"Third — That  the  earth  does  not  revolve  upon  its 
axis. 

"Fourth — That  the  sun  does  not  radiate  light  or  heat. 

"Bold  as  these  propositions  are,  and  flatly  contra- 
dictory to  everything  taught  in  the  schools,  I  am  con- 
fident that  I  will  be  able  to  make  you  acknowledge 
their  truth  within  two  hours." 

At  this  point  in  the  conversation  dinner  was  con- 
cluded, and  the  friends  adjourned  to  the  library,  where 
Loma  resumed  his  instruction.  Professor  Hamilton 
was  incredulous  and  curious,  Doctor  Bell  and  the 
ladies  intensely  interested,  but  confident  that  Loma 
would  be  able  to  fully  maintain  his  position,  however 
radical  it  might  seem. 

"Before  you  begin  your  demonstration,  Doctor 
Loma,"  said  the  professor,  "I  wish  to  be  fully  informed 
as  to  the  precise  meaning  of  the  terms  you  use.  I 
understood  you  to  say,  a  few  minutes  ago,  that  our 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  343 

nomenclature  is  incorrect  on  electrical  subjects.  Now, 
to  avoid  confusion,  let  us  understand  each  other. 
What  is  electricity?" 

"Electricity  is  the  emptiness  of  space,''  replied 
Loma.  "As  the  term  is  usually  employed,  it  signifies 
the  force  which  is  generated  by  the  passage  of  mag- 
netism from  matter  into  the  receptivity  of  space, 
which  is  incorrect.  The  expressions  'electric  current,' 
'electric  fluid,'  etc.,  are  all  incorrect.  To  understand 
this,  let  me  explain: 

"If  you  can  imagine  any  quantity  of  space  divested 
of  every  atom  of  matter,  you  would  have  absolute 
emptiness,  a  complete  vacuum.  It  would  be  absolutely 
dark,  cold  and  composed;  for  without  matter  in  some 
form,  there  can  be  no  manifestation  of  light,  heat  or 
vibration.'' 

"Certainly,"  assented  the  professor. 

"Now,  if  you  will  conceive  such  a  vacuum  to  exist, 
and  conceive  that  in  close  proximity  to  it  there  is  a 
body  of  matter,  you  will  have  in  the  matter  the  an- 
tithesis of  the  conditions  of  space,  for  matter  is  always 
vibratory,  in  some  degree,  and  heat  and  light  are  the 
natural  results  of  this  vibration.  Now,  matter  is 
always  disintegrating  and  throwing  off  in  vibratory 
radiation  an  essence  which  we  call  magnetism.  This 
magnetism  is  the  finest  essence  of  matter,  moving  in 
straight  lines  in  all  directions  from  the  body  of  matter 
from  which  it  is  radiated.  This  radiation  of  magnetism 
is  the  universal  property  of  matter.  The  phenomena 
of  light,  heat,  sound,  odor,  and  all  other  sensations 


344  LOMA, 

which  assail  our  senses  are  simply  different  degrees  of 
vibration." 

"That  is  generally  admitted  as  to  light  and  heat," 
said  the  professor,  "but  not  as  to  odor.  But  proceed 
with  your  explanation." 

"Now,"  continued  Loma,  "it  is  this  antithesis  of  con- 
ditions between  space  and  matter  which  gives  us  the 
solution  of  all  the  problems  to  which  I  have  referred. 
Space  is  empty  and  receptive,  matter  is  vibratory  and 
radiant,  and  this  property  of  radiation  results  in  a  con- 
tinued effort  on  the  part  of  matter  to  fill  space.  You 
say  that  Nature  abhors  a  vacuum.  The  true  statement 
is  that  Matter  loves  Space,  and  Space  loves  Matter,  and 
this  eternal  affinity  results  in  a  constant  energy  which 
is  in  some  form  responsible  for  every  phenomenon  of 
growth  and  mutation  which  we  witness.  When  this 
force  is  gathered  into  a  channel  by  reason  of  some  re- 
straining conditions  operating  to  form  the  channel,  it 
is  currentized  to  such  an  extent  that  we  recognize  it  in 
some  special  form,  as  in  the  lightning  of  the  clouds  or 
the  current  of  a  telegraph  apparatus.  Then  jon  erro- 
neously call  it  electricity  when  you  should  call  it  mag- 
netism. The  performances  of  a  dynamo,  an  electrical 
machine,  a  chemical  battery,  or  any  other  form  of  gen- 
erator, is  in  obedience  to  this  law.  In  either  case  mat- 
ter is  decomposed  by  vibration,  radiation  results,  and 
you  have  magnetism  expressed  in  some  form  which  is 
capable  of  being  recognized  by  one  or  more  of  the  seven 
senses  of  man." 

"Seven  senses!"  exclaimed  Professor  Hamilton.     "Do 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  345 

you  claim  that  man  has  seven  senses?  Please  enu- 
merate them." 

"With  pleasure,"  replied  Loma.  "Man  is  only  able  to 
recognize  the  vibration  and  radiation  of  magnetism  ac- 
cording to  the  scale  of  his  senses,  and  the  degree  of  vi- 
brations to  which  each  sense  is  attuned.  The  lowest  vi- 
brations are  those  which  are  cognizable  by  his  sense  of 
gender.  For  the  recognition  of  these  vibrations  he  is 
provided  with  sexual  organs,  which  are  just  as  much 
organs  of  sense  as  his  eyes  or  ears.  The  sexual  organs 
take  cognizance  of  gender,  and  you  will  discover  as  you 
study  life  that  the  lowest  forms  of  life  recognize  gender, 
and  reproduce  themselves  intelligently  before  they  de- 
velop feeling.  The  vibrations  which  relate  to  the  sense 
of  touch  are  next  in  order.  Just  one  stage  finer  are 
the  vibrations  experienced  in  the  sensations  of  taste. 
Increase  the  rapidity  of  the  vibrations  another  stage, 
and  you  have  the  sense  of  hearing;  next  comes  sight, 
then  the  finer  vibrations  of  smell,  and  above  that 
the  exquisite  perception  which  is  exercised  in  clairvoy- 
ance." 

"I  am  obliged  to  confess  again  that  you  astonish  me," 
exclaimed  the  professor,  "and  yet  your  statements  seem 
to  be  in  accordance  with  observed  facts.  We  have 
been  a  long  time  reaching  the  conclusion  that  heat  and 
light  are  simply  different  degrees  of  the  same  energy, 
but  it  is  now  generally  conceded.  I  see  no  reason  why 
your  explanation  of  the  cause  of  other  sensations 
should  not  be  correct.  But  1  am  ;tnxious  to  hear  you. 
Proceed." 


346  LOMA, 

"We  have  now  reached  a  substantial  foundation  for 
a  philosophy,"  resumed  Loma.  "If  we  are  correct  about 
this  radiation  of  magnetism  from  all  forms  of  matter, 
then  every  particle  of  matter  is  repelled  by  every  other 
particle  of  matter,  and  not  attracted  by  it,  as  erro- 
neously stated  by  Newton.  But  matter  is  attracted 
by  the  receptivity  of  space,  and  it  is  the  drawing  power 
of  the  vacuum  which  attracts.  The  presence  of  centers 
of  electrical  receptivity  in  space  is  all  that  is  necessary 
to  cause  particles  of  matter  to  arrange  themselves 
around  these  centers  and  form  spheres.  While  every 
particle  of  matter  is  repelled  by  every  other  particle, 
yet  as  they  are  drawn  to  a  common  center  of  recep- 
tivity they  seem  to  be  attracting  each  other.  But  this 
is  not  in  fact  true,  as  I  have  clearly  shown.  Now,  this 
philosophy  is  in  exact  accord  with  the  universal  law 
that  likes  repel  each  other  while  opposites  attract. 
You  cannot  iind  a  single  exception  to  this  law  in  all 
nature,  and  yet  in  the  face  of  it  your  profession  has 
gone  on,  since  the  time  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  asserting 
that  matter  attracts  matter." 

"If  you  have  any  lingering  doubt  about  the  correct- 
ness of  this  theory,"  continued  Loma,  after  pausing 
to  give  the  professor  time  to  think,  "consider  the  dif- 
ference between  ice,  water  and  steam.  In  ice,  elec- 
tricity dominates  to  such  a  degree  that  crystallization 
has  occurred,  and  heat  is  at  a  minimum.  Increase 
the  degree  of  heat  and  you  have  fluidity  as  a  result, 
or  the  equilibrium  between  electric  and  magnetic  con- 
ditions.    Increase  the  heat  and  the  increased  radia- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  347 

tion  of  magnetism  will  separate  the  molecules  and 
you  will  have  steam.  You  will,  of  course,  admit  that 
all  the  elements  are  subject  to  these  conditions  ac- 
cording to  the  degree  of  heat  existing. 

"The  experiment  with  the  pith  balls  simply  proves 
the  same  fact.  While  the  sealing  wax  and  the  pith 
balls  remain  at  the  same  temperature  as  the  surround- 
ing atmosphere,  there  is  no  special  exhibition  of  phe- 
nomena, because  the  electro-magnetic  conditions  are 
not  disturbed.  But  friction  applied  to  the  sealing 
wax  causes  vibration  and  radiation,  a  change  in  the 
temperature  and  a  disturbance  of  the  electro-magnetic 
equilibrium  occurs.  Then  the  balls  being  dominated 
by  electricity  really  attract  the  sealing  wax,  but  the 
balls  approach  the  sealing  wax  because  they  are  light 
and  suspended,  while  the  sealing  wax  is  heavy  and 
fixed,  but  the  attraction  is  mutual  whenever  a  sphere 
of  receptivity  is  organized  with  radiant  matter  to  fill 
it.  But  if  this  sphere  is  occupied  by  a  radiant  body  of 
matter  and  the  balls  are  also  radiant  with  magnetism, 
they  will  be  repelled,  both  from  the  radiant  body  and 
from  each  other." 

"I  can  readily  understand  from  these  facts,"1  said 
Professor  Hamilton,  "that  all  that  you  claimed  in  your 
second  proposition  must  be  true.  The  sun  as  a  radiant 
body  of  matter  must  repel  the  planets  that  surround 
him,  and,  obeying  the  same  law,  the  moon  must  be 
repelled  by  the  earth.  Now,  this  repulsion  of  the 
planets  by  the  solar  center  clearly  explains  the  ecu 
trifugal  force  which  we  have  always  recognized  as 


348  LOMA, 

existing,  but  which  I  ninst  confess  I  never  before  com- 
prehended. And,  if  I  understand  you,  the  universal 
tendency  of  matter  to  organize  itself  into  spheres  ex- 
plains the  organization  of  the  planets  themselves,  and 
furnishes  the  centripetal  force  by  the  universal  tend- 
ency toward  centers  of  electrical  receptivity.  Now, 
if  we  carry  this  to  its  fullest  extent,  the  particles  of 
matter  composing  the  moon  are  drawn  to  its  center; 
the  moon  and  the  matter  composing  the  earth  are 
organized  into  a  larger  sphere,  represented  by  the 
orbit  of  the  moon  around  the  earth;  this  sphere  is 
included  in  a  still  larger  one  represented  by  the  orbits 
of  the  planets  around  the  sun,  and  the  sun  and  all  of 
these  spheres  are  moving  together  through  space  to- 
ward another  center  of  electrical  receptivity,  and  so 
on  ad  infinitum.    Am  I  right  in  this  statement?'' 

"Precisely,"  said  Loma,  "and  you  may  continue  the 
process  indefinitely  as  long  as  the  intellect  of  man  can 
comprehend  it,  for  there  is  no  limit  to  space.  Matter 
is  limited  and  divisible,  but  space  is  unlimited,  per- 
sistent and  continuous.  You  have  gone  as  far  as  it 
is  possible  for  man  to  go  in  comprehending  the  un- 
limited." 

"I  believe  you  are  right  in  your  theory  of  gravita- 
tion," said  the  professor,  after  a  pause,  "but  I  reserve 
the  right  to  find  objections  to  it  if  I  can.  But  you 
said  that  the  earth  does  not  revolve  on  its  axis.  I  am 
curious  to  know  why  you  should  entertain  that  theory. 
If  the  earth  does  not  revolve  on  its  axis,  what  causes 
day  and  night?" 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  349 

"The  earth  revolves,  but  not  on  its  axis.  The  ques- 
tion of  the  production  of  day  and  night  is  not  involved. 
for  we  are  agreed  that  these  conditions  follow  from 
the  revolution  of  the  earth  in  some  way.  But  instead 
of  revolving  on  an  axis,  as  a  top  spins  on  the  floor,  it 
rolls  on  the  periphery  of  its  magnetic  aura,  as  a  wheel 
revolves  on  the  ground." 

"Please  explain:" 

"First,  let  me  ask  you  some  questions,"  said  Loma, 
with  his  most  winning  and  diplomatic  smile.  "In 
round  numbers,  what  is  the  circumference  of  the 
earth?" 

"Nearly  twenty-five  thousand  miles,"  replied  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"The  earth  is  progressing  through  space  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  it  revolves,  is  it  not?" 

"Certainly." 

"At  what  rate  of  speed?" 

"About  eighteen  miles  per  second." 

"And  that  would  be  per  day?" 

"About  one  million  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  thou- 
sand two  hundred  miles." 

"Good.  Now,  how  do  you  explain  this  discrepancy? 
A  ball  rolling  along  and  progressing  in  the  direction 
of  its  rotary  motion  will  only  progress  the  length  of 
its  circumference  during  each  revolution.  According 
to  this  the  earth  should  only  progress  about  twenty-five 
thousand  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  when  we  know  it 
progresses  more  than  a  million  and  a  half." 


350  LOMA. 

The  professor  was  nonplused  for  a  moment,  but  in 
stantly  rallied. 

"Why,  it  does  not  follow  that  the  earth  is  confined 
to  the  progression  given  by  its  circumference.  That 
would  be  true  of  a  ball  rolling  on  a  solid  surface,  but 
the  earth  is  not  rolling  on  a  solid  surface.  It  is  revolv- 
ing through  space,  and  its  progress  is  due  to  some 
other  force." 

"What  is  this  other  force,  when  did  it  originate,  and 
what  causes  it  to  continue?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"There  you  are,  and  that  is  where  you  all  land,  until 
you  comprehend  the  true  facts.  You  understand  from 
our  previous  conversation  that  the  earth  and  sun  are 
both  bodies  of  matter  radiating  magnetism  and  re- 
pelling each  other,  but  drawn  together  by  a  common 
center  of  electrical  receptivity  which  attracts  them 
both.  Now,  both  the  earth  and  sun  are  surrounded 
by  their  respective  auras  of  repellant  magnetism. 
These  magnetisms  collide  at  some  distance  between 
the  earth  and  sun,  and  the  smaller  sphere  of  the 
earth's  magnetism  rolls  around  the  larger  sphere  of 
the  sun's  magnetism,  as  a  small  wheel  may  be  made 
to  roll  around  the  rim  or  periphery  of  a.  larger  one. 
According  to  the  figures  you  have  just  named,  repre- 
senting the  progression  of  the  earth,  the  diameter 
of  the  earth's  sphere  of  magnetism  is  something  less 
than  five  hundred  thousand  miles;  hence  the  line  of 
equilibrium  upon  which  the  sphere  of  the  earth  travels 
must  be  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  miles 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


351 


r;  rgcu 


352  LOMA, 

from  the  earth's  center,  iu  the  direction  of  the  sun. 
This  theory  accounts  not  only  for  the  progression  of 
the  earth  through  space,  but  for  its  revolution  also, 
as  the  constant  mutation  of  the  centers  of  electrical 
receptivity  in  space  produces  a  constant  gravity,  and 
this  line  of  equilibrium  being  established  by  the  col- 
lision of  the  earth's  magnetism  with  that  of  the  sun 
there  is  nothing  more  inevitable  than  that  the  earth 
should  revolve  and  progress  in  obedience  to  it.  Every 
other  star,  planet  and  satellite  revolves  and  progresses 
in  the  same  way  in  obedience  to  the  same  great  law." 

"Your  theory  certainly  seems  plausible,"  said  the 
professor  admiringly,  "and  I  will  take  it  under  consid- 
eration. At  the  first  blush  it  certainly  seems  reasona- 
ble, but  I  must  subject  it  to  careful  scrutiny  before 
I  adopt  it.  But  I  am  curious  to  know  why  you  be- 
lieve that  the  sun  does  not  radiate  light  or  heat. 
You  have  commanded  my  respect  and  admiration  by 
what  you  have  already  explained,  and  I  am  anxious 
to  hear  your  discussion  of  the  last  proposition." 

In  a  few  brief  but  comprehensive  sentences  Loma 
explained  the  causes  of  heat  and  light  as  he  had  ex- 
plained them  to  Doctor  Bell  on  the  first  morning  of 
their  acquaintance,  showing  that  heat  and  light  are 
the  result  of  the  vibration  of  the  magnetism  of  the 
sun  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  earth.  The  professor 
plied  him  with  searching  questions,  all  of  which  Loma 
answered  with  his  usual  graciousness  and  perspicuity. 
Finally,  the  professor  said: 

"You  have  certainly  defended  your  remarkable  doc- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  353 

trines  with  great  ability.  I  shall  give  them  the  most 
searching  investigation  and  criticism,  and  shall  hope 
to  meet  you  again  for  a  more  complete  discussion." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  meet  you  at  any  time,"  said 
Loma,  "but  my  stay  in  Chicago  will  be  short,  and  I 
may  not  have  the  pleasure.  But  while  you  are  study- 
ing these  doctrines,  there  is  just  one  more  prob- 
lem 1  would  like  to  leave  with  you  for  the  exercise 
of  your  mentality.  We  have  seen  that  the  earth  re- 
volves about  the  sun  at  a  mean  distance  of  91,328,000 
miles,  consequently  the  amount  of  heat  given  off  by 
the  sun  must  be  sufficient  to  heat  a  sphere  of  double 
that  distance  in  diameter  surrounding  his  center,  to 
the  same  degree  that  he  heats  the  earth." 

"Certainly,"  said  the  professor  again. 

"Now,  we  also  know  that  the  sun  is  progressing 
through  space  in  the  direction  of  the  constellation 
Hercules,  carrying  the  earth  with  him,  at  a  rate  vari- 
ously estimated  from  150,000,000  miles  to  1,051,200,000 
miles  per  annum,  of  which  the  latter  figures  are  prob- 
ably the  most  correct,  and  during  this  process  the 
orbit  of  the  earth  moves  through  a  cylinder  of  space 
182,()5(»,000  miles  in  diameter,  and  in  one  year  1,051,- 
200,000  miles  in  length,  which  the  sun  must  heat  in 
his  passage  to  the  same  degree  according  to  the  ac- 
cepted theory.  Now,  it  is  one  thing  to  heat  a  given 
quantity  of  space  with  a  heater  that  is  stationary, 
but  quite  another  thing  to  heat  new  space  with  it 
when  it  is  moving  through  the  new  space  at  the  rate 
at  which  the  sun  travels.     I  would  like  to  have  you 

88 


354  LOMA, 

figure  on  me  amount  of  matter  the  sun  contains  and 
then  estimate  how  much  fuel  it  would  take  to  warm 
up  that  much  space  with  a  heater  of  the  sun's  magni- 
tude moving  at  that  rate.  You  will  find  it  about  as 
absurd  to  ascribe  the  warming  of  this  space  to  the  sun 
as  to  propose  to  raise  Lake  Michigan  to  the  boiling 
point  by  the  heat  from  the  furnaces  of  one  of  the  steam- 
ers on  its  bosom. 

"Magnetism,  however,  travels  with  greater  velocity 
than  light,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  conceive  of  a  much 
larger  space  being  filled  with  the  light  developed  by  the 
magnetism  of  the  sun  during  his  passage,  if  there  was 
an  atmosphere  to  develop  it,  so  that  there  is  nothing  un- 
reasonable in  supposing  that  he  fills  the  space  of  this 
stupendous  cylinder  with  his  magnetism,  and  this  mag- 
netism passing  to  the  planets  around  him  produces 
all  the  phenomena  I  have  described  as  it  encounters 
the  resistance  of  the  atmospheres  of  the  planets." 

"There  is  only  one  thing  in  your  sublime  explana- 
tion of  astronomy  that  I  have  not  fully  comprehended," 
said  Doctor  Bell,  who,  up  to  this  point,  had  remained 
a  silent  but  absorbed  listener,  "and  that  is,  how  star 
germs  are  produced  by  parent  stars." 

"Every  star,  including  the  earth,  is  a  hollow  sphere," 
replied  Loma,  "and  is  a  living  organ  of  the  male  gen- 
der, having  an  outer  crust  with  which  we  are  familiar, 
an  inner  crust  lining  the  interior  cavity,  and  between 
these  two  crusts  a  bed  of  molten  lava,  which  is  the 
product  of  the  restrained  magnetism  of  the  star,  which 
produces  internal  heat.     The  inner  cavity  of  every  ma- 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 


355 


356  LOMA, 

ture  star  is  provided  with  two  vents,  one  at  each  pole, 
from  which  there  is  a  constant  escape  of  magnetism 
which  produces  the  phenomena  known  as  the  aurora 
borcalis.  The  restrained  magnetism  of  the  star  breaks 
through  the  crust  in  both  directions,  on  the  inner  and 
outer  surfaces  in  volcanic  eruptions.  The  matter 
which  is  thrown  out  upon  the  outer  surface  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  of  gravitation  falls  back  upon  the 
star  and  is  incorporated  into  its  sphere.  But  the  con- 
stant discharge  of  matter  from  the  inner  surface  is 
collected  in  the  cavity  and  formed  into  small  spheres, 
just  as  pills  are  formed  in  the  pill  box  of  an  apoth- 
ecary. When  one  of  these  spheres  collects  sufficient 
material  to  radiate  magnetism  strongly  repellant  to  the 
magnetism  of  the  parent  star,  it  is  discharged  by  the 
force  of  these  repellant  magnetisms  through  one  of 
the  polar  vents  into  outer  space,  and  these  discharges 
are  accompanied  with  great  seismic  disturbances. 
You  can  understand  that  it  takes  ages  to  form  one  of 
these  germs  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  produce  a  dis- 
charge. But  at  intervals  these  discharges  take  place, 
and  the  germ  thus  originated  in  the  'loins  of  its  father' 
(to  use  a  figurative  expression)  is  deposited  by  its 
father,  the  parent  star,  in  the  broad  womb  of  space, 
where  it  passes  through  the  stage  of  incubation.  Our 
moon  is  a  planet  germ  in  the  stage  of  incubation.  It 
has  progressed  so  far  that  it  has  a  hollow  interior  and 
one  polar  vent,  which  is  on  the  side  opposite  the  earth, 
as  it  would  naturally  be,  as  the  discharge  of  magnet- 
ism from  the  vent  antagonizes  the  magnetism  of  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  357 

earth  and  forces  the  moon  into  that  position;  hence 
we  see  only  one  side  of  the  moon,  which  is  the  side 
opposite  the  vent.  When  it.  progresses  far  enough  to 
form  another  vent,  which  will  occur  opposite  the  first, 
in  the  side  now  turned  toward  the  earth,  the  moon 
will  pass  from  incubation  to  complete  life,  turn  side- 
ways to  the  earth  and  begin  a  diurnal  motion  similar 
to  that  displayed  by  the  earth,  or  any  other  completely 
incubated  planet.  It  will  also  form  an  atmosphere,  and 
then  will  occur  upon  the  moon  the  same  succession  of 
growths  that  have  already  occurred  upon  the  earth. 

"The  principal  reason  why  these  scientific  facts 
have  escaped  the  comprehension  of  modern  scientists 
is  this,"  said  Loma,  in  conclusion:  "The  human  race 
has  become  so  saturated  with  a  theology  which  teaches 
that,  all  things  have  their  origin  in  the  decree  of  a  lone 
masculine  god,  and  which  ignores  completely  the 
motherhood  of  God  which  is  just  as  essential  as  the 
fatherhood,  and  human  sociology  has  so  degraded 
woman  to  the  level  of  a  chattel  of  man,  so  that  she  is 
held  in  contempt  and  all  things  feminine  are  despised, 
that  your  scientists  are  incapable  of  comprehending 
the  passional  relations  of  space  and  matter.  As  long 
as  they  ignore  the  prime,  iingenerated,  infinite  all- 
mother,  space,  in  their  calculations,  their  conclusions 
will  be  erroneous,  their  efforts  vain,  their  attempts  to 
solve  the  problems  of  nature  puerile,  and  their  own 
advancement  impossible." 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


THE  NATIVITY. 

"And  tbo  angel  said  unto  them,  'Fear  not;  for  behold  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy  wbicb  sball  be  to  all 
people.'    *    *    * 

"And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  :i  multitude  of  the 
heavenly  host,  praising  God  and  saying: 

"  'Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 
toward  men.' " 

The  time  for  Myrtle's  parturition  arrived  at  last,  and 
the  young  mother,  prepared  by  every  precaution  and 
assistance  which  science  could  suggest,  and  sustained 
by  the  loving  ministrations  of  her  devoted  friends, 
passed  through  the  ordeal  in  perfect  safety  and  with 
no  pain.  The  careful  attention  which  had  been  given 
to  her  diet  and  regimen  had  resulted  in  the  most  favor- 
able bodily  conditions,  and  instead  of  the  distressing 
circumstances  usually  attendant  upon  childbirth,  Myr- 
tle experienced  only  delightful  sensations.  In  this  she 
was  greatly  assisted  by  Loma,  who,  being  a  master  of 
hypnotism,  placed  her  under  control  at  the  proper  sea- 
son, and  not  only  protected  her  from  unpleasant  effects, 
but  by  the  power  of  suggestion,  regulated  the  precise 
moment  of  her  delivery  and  its  attendant  consequences. 
So  perfectly  did  Myrtle  yield  to  the  masterful  influ- 
ence of  her  protector  and  lover  that  on  the  second 

(359) 


360  LOMA. 

day  after  her  delivery  her  normal  condition  was  com- 
pletely regained. 

The  first  signs  of  parturition  manifested  themselves 
at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  day  upon  which 
Loma  had  suggested  her  delivery,  and  the  birth  oc- 
curred precisely  at  noon.  Loma  explained  that  this 
was  arranged  in  accordance  with  Myrtle's  tempera- 
ment and  constitution,  and  that  she  reached  the 
highest  point  of  her  daily  vitality  at  that  hour.  Con- 
sequently he  had  suggested  the  delivery  at  the  precise 
moment  when  her  delicate  and  impressionable  consti- 
tution was  at  its  most  favorable  condition  for  the  dis- 
play of  resistance  and  strength. 

At  the  moment  of  parturition  Loma  stood  at  the 
foot  of  the  couch  upon  which  Myrtle  reclined,  and,  ex- 
tending his  arms,  poured  forth  his  incomparable  mag- 
netism in  a  flood  of  glory.  Myrtle,  bathed  in  this  sus- 
taining and  life-giving  emanation,  felt  no  pain,  but 
simply  relaxed  her  nerves  in  a  succession  of  happy  im- 
pressions. Doctor  and  Mrs.  Bell,  administering  the 
professional  details  of  the  accouchement,  performed 
their  duties  with  consummate  skill.  In  a  few  moments 
Myrtle,  radiant  with  joy,  clasped  to  her  breast  the 
beautiful  fruit  of  her  first  maternity. 

When  the  last  details  of  the  delivery  had  been  ac- 
complished, Loma  spoke: 

"Beloved,  as  I  once  gave  you  a  glimpse  into  the  re- 
gions of  the  blessed,  when  the  first  compact  of  our  love 
was  sealed,  so  now  if  you  will  join  hands  and  become 
receptive,  I  will  show  you  how  the  advent  of  the  fifth 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  361 

member  of  our  sacred  circle  is  celebrated  in  Venus,"  and 
as  Myrtle  extended  her  hands  to  the  doctor  and  Mrs. 
Bell,  Loma  raised  his  hands  and  extended  them,  as 
he  had  done  on  a  former  occasion,  while  the  intensity 
of  his  magnetism  increased  to  its  dazzling  degree. 

A  vision  of  enchanting  loveliness  overwhelmed  the 
senses  of  the  young  mother  and  her  devoted  friends. 
Again  the  strains  of  heavenly  music  ravished  their 
ears,  but  this  time  their  senses  were  sufficiently  devel- 
oped to  comprehend  its  import.  Human  forms  of  sur- 
passing beauty  encompassed  them,  while  the  very  air 
they  breathed  was  surcharged  with  the  magnetism 
radiated  by  these  forms  in  waves  of  glory.  Delicious 
sensations  assailed  every  avenue  of  intelligence,  and 
all  seemed  to  unite  in  one  grand  crescendo  into  the  ex- 
pression: 

"Glory  to  God  iu  the  highest, 
On  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 

Loma  permitted  his  proteges  to  thrill  in  the  joy  of 
this  experience  for  several  minutes.  Then  as  their 
receptivities  became  exhausted,  and  they  were  unable 
to  comprehend  more,  he  lowered  his  magnetism,  and 
they  fell  into  the  deep  sleep  which  had  before  fol- 
lowed the  manifestation  of  his  power.  For  several 
hours  they  continued  to  sleep  while  Loma  maintained 
his  vigil  over  all.  Doctor  Bell  and  his  mother  re- 
gained consciousness  before  Myrtle,  whom  Loma  con- 
tinued to  impress  with  loving  and  solicitous  affection 
until  the  last  vestige  of  fatigue  and  weakness  from  her 
recent  experience  had  passed  away. 


362  LOMA, 

Beautiful  indeed  was  Myrtle's  offspring.  Perfect  in 
every  feature,  strong-  in  every  element  of  vitality,  in- 
stead of  coming  into  the  world  crying,  as  is  the  case 
with  nearly  every  child  born  to  the  human  race,  as  it 
was  received  by  the  motherly  hands  of  Mrs.  Bell  it 
instantly  began  its  respiration,  and  as  it  did  so  smiled. 
And  as  the  deft  hands  of  the  experienced  matron  as- 
sisted it  to  increase  the  power  of  its  lungs,  soft  cooing 
notes  of  inexpressible  sweetness  came  from  its  infant 
lips.  And  thus  began  the  life  which  was  destined  to 
bless  the  world  with  the  unfolding  germs  of  the  new 
civilization. 

When  Myrtle  had  in  some  measure  regained  her 
composure  after  the  first  thrilling  sensations  of  moth- 
erhood, Loma  approached  her,  and,  clasping  about  her 
neck  a  beautiful  gold  necklace,  bearing  upon  its  front 
a  magnificent  solitaire  diamond,  weighing  over  six 
carats,  kissed  her  affectionately,  and  said : 

"Exalted  one,  receive  the  badge  of  motherhood  as  it 
is  worn  in  Venus.  You  have  brought  a  jewel  to  the 
state.  The  state  salutes  you  with  its  congratulations, 
and  every  citizen  acknowledges  an  obligation  to  you. 
Henceforth  your  place  is  with  the  honored  matrons,  to 
whom  the  state  is  indebted  for  its  life  and  perpetuity." 

Myrtle  received  her  new  honor  with  becoming  dig- 
nity. Doctor  and  Mrs.  Bell  congratulated  her  affec- 
tionately, and  each  presented  her  with  a  beautiful 
jewel.  Faithful  Nora  headed  the  servants  of  the 
household  in  a  brief  but  happy  interview,  and  then  the 
young  mother  again  sank  into  blissful  repose. 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  363 

On  the  day  following  her  delivery.  Myrtle,  with  her 
full  strength  completely  regained,  held  a  levee  of  con- 
gratulation. Mr.  McDonald  and  his  sister  were  among 
the  early  callers,  and  the  small  circle  of  devoted  friends 
to  whom  Myrtle  had  been  introduced  by  the  doctor 
and  Mrs.  Bell  made  the  young  mother  supremely  happy 
by  their  delicate  attentions. 

On  the  third  day  after  her  delivery  a  remarkable 
event  occurred.  At  about  eleven  o'clock  a  visitor  was 
announced,  who  was  met  in  the  parlor  by  Doctor  Bell. 
As  the  doctor  entered  the  parlor  he  was  greeted  by  a 
man  of  commanding  appearance  and  scholarly  de- 
meanor, who  said: 

"Doctor  Bell,  my  mission  may  seem  strange  to  you, 
but  I  am  the  representative  of  a  scientific  association 
which  is  unknown  to  the  world,  because  its  mem- 
bers live  on  a  plane  so  exalted  that  we  do  not  court 
notoriety.  But  among  the  privileges  we  enjoy  by 
reason  of  our  superior  knowledge  is  the  power  of  dis- 
cerning from  astrological  data  and  clairvoyant  percep- 
tion when  an  extraordinary  event  takes  place  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  We  have  discovered  by  means 
which  I  may  not  take  time  to  explain,  what  I  am  sure 
must  be  known  to  you,  that  within  the  past  three 
days  a  child  has  been  born  in  this  house  which  we  are 
informed  will  bless  the  world  with  his  greatness  and 
virtue.  There  are  within  a  few  hundred  miles  of 
Chicago,  thirty  members  of  our  cult,  who  have  been 
summoned  to  meet,  in  this  city  for  the  purpose  of  suit- 
ably recognizing  and  celebrating  the  happy  event.     I 


364  LOMA, 

have  been  delegated  by  my  associates  to  come  to  you 
and  ask  for  the  privilege  of  congratulating  the  mother 
of  the  coming  prodigy,  and  of  feasting  our  eyes  on 
what  we  know  to  be  the  only  perfect  human  child 
which  has  been  born  upon  this  planet  for  nearly  nine- 
teen hundred  years," 

Doctor  Bell  was  at  first  considerably  surprised  at 
this  message,  but  he  was  too  polite  and  self-possessed 
to  betray  it.  With  his  usual  courtly  grace  he  re- 
quested his  visitor  to  be  seated,  while  he  made  some 
inquiries  of  his  colleagues. 

In  the  library  he  found  Loma,  to  whom  he  commu- 
nicated the  request  of  the  visitor. 

"I  have  been  expecting  this,"  said  Loma,  with  one 
of  his  peculiar  smiles,  "although  it  is  not  a  necessary 
part  of  my  experience.  I  have  known  of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  cult  to  which  he  belongs,  and  I  have  been 
curious  to  see  whether  they  would  be  able  to  locate 
Myrtle's  offspring.  They  are  proceeding  upon  correct 
lines  and  developing  some  very  interesting  powers, 
and  it  will  be  our  happy  privilege  to  extend  them  every 
courtesy.  Mary  and  Joseph  were  visited  by  a  similar 
delegation  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Jesus,  and  they 
are  referred  to  in  the  Bible  as  the  'wise  men  from  the 
East'  I  shall  be  pleased  to  meet  the  gentleman  my- 
self." 

Doctor  Bell  and  Loma  proceeded  to  the  parlor, 
where  they  both  extended  distinguished  courtesies  to 
the  stranger,   who   introduced   himself  as   Professor 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  365 

James  Gannon.     When  the  doctor  asked  bis  residence, 

lie  replied: 

"I  am  not  a  resident  of  any  city  or  country,  neither 
are  any  of  my  colleagues.  We  are  so  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  the  present  organization  of  society  is 
wrong  that  we  cannot  consistently  allow  ourselves  to 
become  identified  with  any  of  its  permanent  organiza- 
tions. We  live  natural  lives  as  far  as  possible  with- 
out offending  those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact, 
but  while  we  are  organized  for  purposes  of  communi- 
cation and  mutual  study,  we  are  practically  inde- 
pendent of  organized  society.  We  are  simply  known 
to  each  other  as  the  'Associated  Philosophers.' " 

It  was  arranged  that  the  Associated  Philosophers 
should  have  a  reception  at  noon  on  the  following  day, 
and  Professor  Gannon  took  his  leave. 

Precisely  at  twelve  o'clock  on  the  next  day  the  dele- 
gation arrived.  They  were  at  first  received  in  the  par- 
lor by  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Pell,  and  by  them  conducted 
in  a  body  to  the  conservatory,  where  Loma.  and  Myrtle, 
with  her  beautiful  babe,  awaited  them. 

The  Associated  Philosophers  consisted  of  fifteen 
handsome,  dignified  and  scholarly  men  and  an  equal 
number  of  beautiful,  attractive  and  cultivated  women. 
Myrtle  received  them  with  her  accustomed  grace,  and 
while  she  delighted  her  visitors  with  her  own  beauty 
and  sweet  womanliness,  she  was  also  herself  over- 
whelmed with  their  expressions  of  devotion  and  kind- 
ness.    Every  one  of  the  delegation  caressed  her  and 


366  LOMA, 

her  baby  boy,  and  each  one  presented  her  with  some 
beautiful  token  of  friendship. 

Two  hours  were  spent  in  delightful  conversation  and 
music,  when  the  philosophers  departed,  leaving  Myrtle 
enriched  with  a  magnificent  collection  of  presents,  and 
what  she  valued  more  highly,  substantial  pledges  of 
personal  devotion  to  her  and  her  highly  favored  off- 
spring. 

Doctor  Bell  was  unremitting  in  his  loyalty  and  de- 
votion to  Myrtle.  Every  possible  provision  had  been 
made  for  her  comfort  and  protection  by  him  during  her 
six  months'  sojourn  under  his  roof.  Now  that  the 
ordeal  was  safely  passed  by  Myrtle,  and  she  was  a 
happy  mother,  in  the  complete  possession  of  normal 
health,  which  had  never  for  one  moment  been  disturbed 
by  her  experience,  his  professional  gratification  was 
only  exceeded  by  his  personal  joy  in  her  happiness. 
Myrtle  was  deeply  conscious  of  his  devotion  and  love, 
and  reciprocated  it  in  a  complete  degree. 

In  one  of  their  delightful  interviews  in  the  conserva- 
tory, when  she  and  the  doctor  were  bending  over  her 
beautiful  babe  in  transports  of  affectionate  admiration, 
Myrtle  entwined  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  kissed 
him  affectionately,  saying: 

"Oh,  I  owe  so  much  to  you  for  all  this  happiness. 
Without  your  love  and  protection  I  would  have  been 
dead  and  disgraced,  instead  of  being  the  happiest  and 
most  honored  woman  in  the  world.  How  can  I  ever 
reward  you  and  show  my  gratitude  and  love?" 

"My  reward  has  come  already,  in  being  permitted  to 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  367 

share  in  this  happiness,"  said  the  doctor,  as  he  returned 
her  caress.  "Gratitude  1  do  not  require,  for  the  con- 
sciousness of  duty  well  performed  is  always  the  reward 
of  correct  action.  But,"  he  continued,  as  he  stood  be- 
fore Myrtle  and  clasped  both  of  her  hands  in  his,  while 
his  manly  voice  trembled  with  deep  emotion  and  his 
eves  gazed  into  hers  with  an  expression  which  thrilled 
her  with  happiness,  "if  you  wish  to  show  your  love,  and 
you  love  me  well  enough,  you  can  make  me  the  happiest 
man  in  the  world,  by  becoming  my  adored,  my  incom- 
parable consort." 

Myrtle  buried  her  face  on  his  shoulder  while  her 
slight  frame  trembled  with  the  highest  sensations  of 

joy. 

"Oh,  Edward,"  she  exclaimed,  "I  thought  I  was  su- 
premely happy  in  my  glorious  motherhood,  but  this 
is  transcendent  joy.  I  have  loved  you  from  the  first 
day  I  knew  you,  and  you  have  filled  my  life  with  every 
sweet  experience  of  which  it  is  capable." 

Just  at  this  moment  Loma  entered  the  conservatory, 
and  seeing  the  expressions  of  the  faces  of  the  doctor 
and  Myrtle,  both  of  whom  were  radiant  with  their  new 
happiness,  he  comprehended  the  situation  at  once. 
He  advanced  and  embraced  them  both,  glowing  with 
his  richest  expression  of  magnetism. 

"My  blessed  lovers!''  he  exclaimed,  as  he  caressed 
them,  "I  have  been  wondering  how  long  it  would  take 
you  to  realize  how  necessary  you  are  to  each  other  and 
to  consummate  your  happiness.  You  will  accept  my 
loving  congratulations  and  my  highest  blessing.'" 


368  LOMA, 

At  this  point  Loiiia  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance 
of  Mrs.  Bell  into  the  conservatory,  and  when  the  situa- 
tion was  explained  to  her,  she  overwhelmed  the  lovers 
with  her  maternal  benediction. 

"I  have  been  praying  for  this,"  she  exclaimed  with 
rapture,  "and  my  prayer  being  answered,  my  joy  is  com- 
plete." 

As  Mrs.  Bell  ceased  speaking  the  babe  awakened 
from  a  deep  slumber,  and,  opening  its  eyes,  looked  into 
the  face  of  Doctor  Bell,  and  smiled,  at  the  same  time 
raising  its  tiny  hands  and  voicing  the  sweet  and  cooing 
sounds  which  were  peculiar  to  it. 

"See,"  said  Loma,  "the  babe  extends  its  congratula- 
tions also,  and  welcomes  the  protection  of  its  devoted 
foster-father." 

Doctor  Bell  pressed  his  bearded  lips  to  the  forehead 
of  the  beautiful  child,  while  he  murmured: 

"May  nature  deal  with  me  as  I  am  faithful  to  the 
high  trust  imposed  upon  me,  and  as  my  love  is  devoted 
to  this  child  and  its  royal  mother." 

"Amen!"  said  Loma  fervently,  while  Myrtle  embraced 
her  betrothed  lover  and  Mrs.  Bell  smiled  upon  both. 

After  the  transports  of  this  new  experience  had  sub 
sided  in  part,  Doctor  Bell  addressed  Loma  affection- 
ately and  seriously,  while  he  said: 

"There  is  a  subject  which  lies  nearest  to  my  heart  at 
the  present  moment  upon  which  I  wish  to  be  instructed, 
and  I  think  Myrtle  and  my  mother  will  also  be  grateful 
for  an  expression  from  you.  Now,  that  Myrtle  and  my- 
self are  betrothed  as  consorts,  the  subject  of  marriage 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  369 

is  before  us.  Hitherto  I  have  never  considered  mar 
riage  at  all,  because  1  was  absorbed  in  my  profession, 
and  I  did  not  expect  to  ever  assume  the  relationship, 
which  I  have  always  considered  degrading  to  both 
woman  and  man,  and  I  never  expected  1o  meet  any 
woman  who  could  cause  me  to  consider  it.  But  recent 
events  have  changed  all  of  these  considerations,  and 
now  that  I  have  met  and  loved  Myrtle,  I  am  anxious  to 
do  wThat  is  exactly  right.  I  do  not  wish  that  either  she 
or  myself  should  be  subjected  to  the  degrading  condi- 
tions of  marriage  if  I  can  avoid  it.  Yet  I  fully  realize 
that  unless  we  enter  into  some  form  of  a  legal  marriage 
our  social  and  my  professional  standing  will  be  imper- 
iled, and  we  will  be  subject  to  many  inconveniences 
which  will  fall  more  heavily  upon  her  than  upon  my- 
self. At  the  same  time  we  owe  a  duty  to  society  -to 
set  an  example  of  a  correct  life,  and  it  seems  impossible 
to  do  this  in  marriage.  I  appeal  to  you  in  this  dilemma 
for  complete  instruction  as  to  what  should  be  done  for 
the  benefit  of  Myrtle,  her  offspring,  myself  and  society 
at  large." 

"I  have  already  considered  this  problem,"  replied 
Loma,  "and  am  ready  w7ith  its  solution.  The  degrada- 
tion of  marriage  consists,  not  in  the  fad  that  men  and 
women  marry,  and  call  the  contract  by  that  name,  but 
in  the  fact  that  they  violate  nature  by  promising  to  do 
impossible  things,  by  assuming  ownership  over  each 
other,  and  by  regarding  the  relationship  as  only  deter- 
minable by  the  death  or  the  criminal  action  of  one  or  the 
other  of  the  parties.    To  enable  Myrtle  to  enjoy  the  priv- 

24 


370  LOMA, 

ileges  of  society,  and  to  enable  you  to  give  her  boy  the 
advantages  he  should  have,  it  is  desirable  that  you 
should  occupy  a  position  giving  the  largest  freedom  of 
action  without  unnecessarily  antagonizing  the  society 
in  which  you  move.  You  will  enjoy  greater  privileges 
in  society'  and  greater  immunity  from  persecution 
during  the  boyhood  and  adolescence  of  your  charge  if 
you  apparently  conform  to  the  usages  of  society  in  this 
respect,  while  you  may  at  the  same  time  introduce  a 
radical  reform  into  the  marriage  ceremony  itself.  By 
so  doing  you  will  accomplish  greater  good  for  society 
and  perform  a  higher  duty  than  you  will  by  antag- 
onizing your  associates  and  suffering  martyrdom. 
This  was  the  plan  pursued  by  the  followers  of  Gall- 
heim  upon  our  planet,  who  practiced  a  reformed  style 
of  marriage  for  several  generations.  This  is  the  next 
natural  step  towards  complete  freedom,  and  you  should 
conscientiously  conform  to  it  instead  of  overstepping 
the  plans  of  natural  development  and  attempting  to 
force  the  growth  of  institutions  which  take  time  to 
mature.  I  therefore  suggest,  that  as  my  time  with 
you  is  necessarily  short,  and  I  am  anxious  to  consum- 
mate my  mission  as  speedily  as  possible,  that  you 
allow  me  to  celebrate  your  ceremony  of  consorting  as 
we  practice  it  in  Venus,  and  that  you  publish  it  as  a 
marriage  according  to  the  reformed  method  proclaimed 
by  Grailheim,  while,  in  fact,  you  repudiate  all  the  de- 
grading implications  of  the  conventional  marriage,  and 
that  the  ceremony  take  place  in  a  public  manner  so  as 
to  create  the  greatest  possible  impression." 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  371 

To  this  tlio  doctor  ami  Myrtle  eagerly  consented,  and, 
after  consulting  with  Mrs.  Bell,  it  was  aranged  that  the 
ceremony  should  take  place  on  the  following  Wednes- 
day, at  noon,  and  invitations  were  immediately  issued 
to  five  hundred  guests,  among  whom  were  included 
Myrtle's  relatives,  the  friends  and  associates  of  Doctor 
and  Mrs.  Bell,  the  Associated  Philosophers  and  rep- 
resentatives of  the  press.  As  the  immediate  associ- 
ates of  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Bell  had  for  some  time  been 
incorporated  as  a  religious  society  under  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  Illinois,  and  as  Loma  had  been  shortly 
after  his  arrival  upon  the  earth  admitted  to  the  society 
and  made  one  of  its  leaders  and  teachers,  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  the  ceremony  should  be  conducted  under 
the  auspices  of  the  society,  and  the  invitations  were 
so  worded. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


MARRIAGE  UNDER  THE  NEW  CIVILIZATION. 

"For  always  in  thine  eyes,  O  Liberty! 
Shines  that  high  light  whereby  the  world  is  saved." 

"Self-abnegation,  subservience  to  man.  whether  he  be 
father,  lover  or  husband,  is  the  most  dangerous  theory  that 
can  be  taught  to  or  forced  upon  a  woman.  She  has  no  right 
to  transmit  a  nature  that  is  subservient  and  a  slavish  char- 
acter, either  blindly  obedient  or  blindly  rebellious,  and  there- 
fore set,  as  is  a  time  lock,  to  prey  or  to  be  preyed  upon  by  the 
society  of  the  future.  If  woman  is  not  brave  enough  person- 
ally to  demand  and  obtain  absolute  personal  liberty  of  action, 
equality  of  status,  entire  control  of  her  great  and  race-endow- 
ing function,  maternity,  she  has  no  right  to  dare  to  stamp 
upon  a  child  and  to  curse  a  race  with  the  descendants  of  such 
a  servile,  a  dwarfed,  time  and  master  serving  character." 

The  day  which  had  been  set  for  the  celebration  of 
the  ceremony  of  consorting  of  Doctor  Bell  and  Myrtle 
dawned  auspiciously.  The  wedding  ceremony  was  ar- 
ranged to  take  place  at  noon,  and  some  time  before 
that  hour  the  invited  guests  began  to  arrive  in  large 
numbers.  The  conservatory  and  music  room,  together 
with  the  two  huge  bedrooms  usually  occupied  by  Loma 
and  Myrtle,  which  connected,  as  the  reader  knows,  with 
the  conservatory,  had  been  arranged  into  a  charming 
auditorium  capable  of  accommodating  all  of  (he  in- 
vited guests,  and  had  been  beautifully  decorated. 

(373) 


374  LOMA, 

The  devoted  circle  of  young  people  who  had  taken 
such  great  interest  in  Myrtle  from  the  first,  were  now 
much  in  evidence.  Loma  had  taken  enough  of  them 
into  his  confidence  to  make  most  elaborate  arrange- 
ments for  the  use  of  their  services  to  produce  desira- 
ble effects,  and  as  the  doctor,  Myrtle  and  Mrs.  Bell 
were  to  sustain  principal  parts  in  the  ceremony, 
with  himself,  he  had  arranged  that  the  social  and  hos- 
pitable courtesies  of  the  occasion  should  be  performed 
by  committees  of  these  friends  as  he  was  able  to  make 
them  available. 

The' guests  were  received  in  the  parlors  below,  and 
escorted  to  the  conservatory  as  they  arrived  by  a  com- 
mittee of  young  ladies  and  gentlemen  selected  for  this 
service.  Another  band  of  ushers  received  them  at  the 
conservatory,  and  provided  them  with  seats.  As  each 
guest  took  the  position  assigned,  one  of  the  ushers  pre- 
sented a  beautiful  souvenir  containing  superb  portraits 
of  the  doctor  and  Myrtle,  and  a  copy  of  the  ceremony 
ritual,  printed  in  gold  upon  the  finest  quality  of  white 
silk. 

The  music  room  adjoining  the  conservatory  had  been 
beautifully  decorated  and  made  to  resemble  the  chan- 
cel of  a  cathedral,  being  covered  with  white  silk 
throughout,  embellished  with  white  roses.  The  foun- 
tain in  the  conservatory  was  transformed  into  a  bank 
of  white  roses  and  calla  lilies.  Throughout  the  im- 
provised auditorium  the  decorations  had  been  carried 
out  on  a  similar  scale,  white  being  the  only  color  of 
the  flowers  and  decorations  used.    The  organ  in  the 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  375 

music  room  was  concealed  beneath  a  mass  of  white 
roses,  and  at  the  keys  presided  Miss  Carrie  William- 
son, one  of  the  most  accomplished  organists  of  the  city, 
arrayed  in  a  costume  of  pure  white,  with  a  single  white 
rose  in  her  hair. 

Professor  Hamilton,  who  had  returned  from  Madi- 
son, Wisconsin,  was  among  the  invited  guests,  but  not 
being  a  man  of  social  tastes,  he  took  no  con- 
spicuous part  in  the  ceremony.  Mr.  McDonald 
and  his  sister  were  expected,  but  when  he  arrived, 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  friends  who  formed  the 
reception  committee,  he  was  accompanied  not  only 
by  his  sister,  but  by  his  wife.  The  latter  had  been 
entirely  overcome  by  the  accounts  her  husband  gave 
of  the  munificent  hospitality  of  the  Bells,  and  by  his 
description  of  the  remarkable  character  of  Loma.  As 
soon  as  she  realized  that  Myrtle  had  indeed  been 
adopted  by  rich  and  powerful  friends,  her  selfish  and 
narrow  nature  had  secretly  craved  for  an  opportunity 
to  resume  friendly  relations  with  the  girl  whom  she 
had  so  shamelessly  cast  out  of  her  own  home,  but  pride 
and  the  apparent  lack  of  a  suitable  opportunity  had 
prevented  her  from  making  the  attempt.  But  when 
she  heard  that  Myrtle  was  about  to  be  married,  and 
found  herself  included  in  an  invitation  to  attend  the 
ceremony,  her  curiosity  to  see  Loma  and  Myrtle's  pros- 
perity found  a  ready  excuse  in  the  statement  that  she 
was  glad  Myrtle  was  about  to  return  to  the  ranks  of 
"respectability."  And  so  she  appeared  among  the  in- 
vited guests,  with  her  pharisaical  crust  a  little  thicker 


376  LOMA, 

than  usual  over  her  thin  veneer  of  intelligence,  too 
ignorant  to  comprehend  the  hospitality  which  made  it 
possible  for  her  to  be  present,  too  narrow  to  appreciate 
the  loving  and  forgiving  spirit  in  which  the  invitation 
had  been  sent,  and  too  much  absorbed  in  the  gratifica- 
tion of  her  own  selfish  desires  and  curiosity  to  realize 
the  import  of  the  event  or  the  meaning  of  the  cere- 
mony with  which  it  was  celebrated. 

And  as  she  sat  in  the  auditorium  watching  the  prog- 
ress of  events,  herself  in  fact,  the  least  respectable  per- 
son in  the  bright  assemblage,  she  represented  the  cur- 
rent of  modern  society  and  public  opinion,  of  which 
Loma  had  said  to  Doctor  Bell: 

"Society  will  look  upon  your  ceremony  of  consorting 
with  Myrtle  as  simply  an  ordinary  marriage  with  per- 
haps some  extraordinary  features,  of  which  they  will 
take  but  little  notice.  But  the  thoughtful  and  the  pro- 
found will  see  in  this  celebration  a  complete  revolution 
of  the  institution  of  marriage,  because  the  principles 
declared  and  the  words  spoken  will  be,  in  effect,  a 
complete  contradiction  of  the  usual  form.  So  while 
you  will  comply  with  the  law  in  taking  Myrtle  as  your 
wife,  you  will  inaugurate  an  entirely  new  view  of  the 
relationship,  and  accomplish  more  for  the  reform  of 
marriage  than  could  be  done  in  any  other  way.  This 
was  the  course  pursued  by  the  followers  of  Gallheim, 
and  as  soon  as  the  intelligent  portion  of  the  community 
are  educated  in  this  way  to  a  rational  relationship 
between  man  and  woman,  they  will  be  prepared  for 
the  next  great  step  which  will  consist  in  the  abolition 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS.  377 

of  all  pledges  and  the  simple  recognition  of  the  rela- 
tionship, in  which  pledges  will  be  unnecessary,  be- 
cause they  will  be  implied  by  every  principle  of  good 
behavior." 

The  Associated  Philosophers  were  early  among  the 
guests,  and  were  assigned  to  places  of  special  honor 
near  the  improvised  chancel.  It  was  noticed  that  they 
were  attired  in  striking  costumes  of  white  satin,  the 
peculiar  habit  of  their  order  on  formal  occasions. 

Nora  and  the  other  devoted  servants  of  the  house 
hold  had  been  given  good  seats  in  the  auditorium, 
together  with  a  number  of  other  persons  who  were  in 
some  measure  the  recipients  of  the  splendid  philan- 
thropy of  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Bell.  Representatives  of 
all  the  daily  papers  were  on  hand,  prepared  to  report 
the  details  of  what  they  had  already  been  given  to  un- 
derstand would  be  an  interesting  departure  from  con- 
ventional methods. 

Precisely  as  the  clock  struck  twelve,  the  organ  filled 
the  conservatory  with  the  sublime  strains  of  a  new 
wedding  march,  which  had  been  arranged  by  Loma  for 
the  organist,  and  which  he  had  stated  was  first  used 
in  Venus  on  the  occasion  of  the  marriage  of  Gallheim's 
only  daughter.  At  the  same  moment,  amid  a  flutter  of 
excitement,  the  ceremonial  procession  entered  the  rear 
of  the  conservatory  and  proceeded  to  the  chancel,  while 
the  audience  rose  and  remained  standing. 

First  came  seven  beautiful  little  girls  and  an  equal 
number  of  handsome  little  boys,  arrayed  in  cos- 
tumes   of    pure    white,    scattering    white    roses    and 


378  LOMA, 

delicious  perfume  over  the  aisle  which  led  from 
the  entrance  to  the  chancel.  Following  these 
came  Mr.  McDonald,  with  Myrtle  leaning  upon  his 
arm.  Mr.  McDonald  was  arrayed  in  a  conventional 
dress  suit  of  black,  with  a  single  white  rose  upon  the 
lapel  of  his  coat.  Myrtle  was  dressed  in  a  simple  white 
gown,  of  the  most  delicate  silk,  beautifully  embroid- 
ered, but  wearing  no  ornaments  save  the  ring  and  neck- 
lace which  she  had  received  from  Loma,  which  were 
the  badges  of  her  glorious  maternity.  Her  neck  and 
shoulders  were  bare,  and  her  golden  hair,  left  without 
restriction,  fell  in  beautiful  waves  to  her  waist.  As 
she  walked  up  the  aisle  leaning  upon  the  arm  of  her 
uncle,  her  face  was  radiant  with  serene  joy,  and  she 
presented  a  picture  of  classic  loveliness  and  grace. 

Irnniediatety  following  Myrtle  and  her  uncle  came 
Doctor  Bell,  leaning  upon  the  arm  of  his  mother. 
Both  were  arrayed  in  garments  of  immaculate  white 
satin,  and  wore  no  ornaments,  save  that  Mrs.  Bell  wore 
a  necklace  bearing  a  large  solitaire  diamond,  similar 
to  that  worn  by  Myrtle.  Doctor  Bell  was  a  conspicu- 
ous example  of  manly  dignity  and  self-possession  as 
he  advanced  to  the  chancel  with  his  mother  and  took 
his  position  on  the  right,  while  Myrtle  and  her  uncle 
stood  at  the  left  of  the  chancel.  The  fourteen  attend- 
ing cherubs  ranged  themselves  in  a  semi-circle  behind 
the  contracting  parties,  just  as  Loma,  who  had  been 
concealed  behind  a  bank  of  roses  in  the  chancel,  ad- 
vanced and  met  the  procession.  Loma  was  attired  in 
a    simple   toga    of   white   silk,   with    bare   arms   and 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENT'S. 


379 


shoulders,  and  wore  as  ornaments  a  necklace  bearing 
three  magnificent  diamonds,  and  four  superb  solitaire 
diamond  rings,  besides  three  smaller  ones  ornamented 
with  clusters  of  sapphires  and  rubies.  These  had 
been  manufactured  at  Doctor  Bell's  order  for  the  oc- 
casion, and  were  exact  duplicates,  according  to  de- 
scriptions furnished  by  Loma,  of  the  ornaments  he 
wore  in  Venus  as  emoluments  of  his  distinguished 
services.  His  body  was  pervaded  with  a  mellow  glow 
of  his  magnetism,  which  shone  most  conspicuously 
in  a  halo  of  glory  around  his  head.  His  appear;m< :e 
was  the  signal  for  a  complete  silence,  and  hush  of 
awe  which  fell  upon  the  assemblage  as  they  contem- 
plated his  glorious  personality.  Facing  the  audience 
in  his  commanding  dignity  and  in  tones  which  thrilled 
his  hearers  with  new  and  overwhelming  emotions,  he 
said  : 

"Dearly  beloved,  the  event  which  is  about  to  occur 
is  one  of  transcendent  importance,  not  only  to  the 
high  contracting  parties,  who  have  chosen  in  this  man- 
ner to  call  you  to  witness  the  compact  of  their  love, 
but  to  the  entire  human  race,  which  has  heretofore 
been  impeded  in  its  advancement  and  development  by 
false  conceptions  of  the  duties  of  men  and  women 
to  each  other  and  to  society.  Marriage  is  honorable 
in  all,  if  the  motives  and  intentions  of  the  parties  are 
honorable,  and  those  intentions  are  carried  out  in  the 
spirit  of  love  and  devotion.  But  humanity  is  of  more 
value  than  any  ceremonial  observance,  and  any  com- 
pact which  degrades  humanity  or  any  member  of  so- 


380  LOMA, 

ciety  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  Nature,  which  are 
higher  than  any  which  are  the  result  of  the  opinions 
or  the  enactment  of  any  body  of  men. 

"The  laws  of  j^our  commonwealth  are  almost  suffi- 
ciently liberal  and  rational  to  allow  the  correct  asso- 
ciation of  man  and  woman  at  this  stage  of  the  progress 
of  the  world.  They  merely  require  that  the  contract- 
ing parties  should  acknowledge  in  the  presence  of 
witnesses  that  they  take  each  other  as  man  and  wife. 
Your  civil  law  is  in  advance  of  your  social  customs, 
for  in  the  usual  ceremony  performed  in  your  churches 
and  often  by  the  civil  magistrate,  pledges  of  a  de- 
grading and  stultifying  nature  are  required  of  the 
parties,  in  addition  to  the  simple  declaration  of  mar- 
riage in  which  the  law  wisely  leaves  pledges  of  conduct 
to  the  implications  of  good  sense  and  morality.  As 
soon  as  your  public  sentiment  is  sufficiently  educated, 
and  your  laws  are  so  amended  as  to  permit  the  correc 
tion  of  matrimonial  mistakes,  without  the  scandal  of 
divorce,  or  the  commission  of  crime  by  either  party  to 
secure  liberty,  your  conditions  will  be  favorable  for  the 
development  of  perfect  morality. 

"The  only  association  of  man  and  woman  in  mar- 
riage which  can  possibly  result  in  good  to  society  is 
that  which  is  founded  upon  mutual  love,  respect  and 
admiration,  which  associates  persons  who  are  adapted 
to  make  each  other  happy  by  the  possession  of  those 
attributes  of  character  which  are  conducive  to  each 
other's  well  being  and  which  meet  the  demands  of 
each  other's  natures,  where  love  has  been  tested  by 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  381 

sufficient  association  and  experiment,  and  is  known 
to  exist,  and  where  there  is  a  mutual,  sincere  and 
reasonable  desire  for  its  continued  exercise.  In  such 
cases  we  believe  that,  as  far  as  the  parties  themselves 
are  concerned,  there  is  no  necessity  for  any  ceremo- 
nial declaration  or  mutual  pledge.  Bnt  for  the  edifi- 
cation of  society,  for  the  proper  register  of  the  rela- 
tionship, and  for  an  example  for  the  emulation  of  those 
who  have  not  progressed  to  a  similar  state  of  felicity. 
we  believe  in  and  practice  the  ceremony  which  fol- 
lows." 

While  the  organ  vibrated  the  perfumed  air  with  a 
solemn  but  exceedingly  sweet  refrain,  Loma,  glowing 
to  a  somewhat  higher  degree  of  magnetism,  raised  his 
hands  toward  the  sun,  which  at  that  moment  flooded 
the  conservatory  with  light,  and  pronounced  the  follow- 
ing invocation: 

"Infinite  Source  of  Creation!  Thou  who  revealest 
Thyself  to  us  in  the  warming  rays  of  the  sun,  in  the 
perfume  of  the  flowers,  and  in  every  progression  of 
Thy  handiwork,  including  our  own  intelligence  and 
advancement,  we  invoke  Thy  blessing  upon  this  com- 
pact of  love  which  we  are  about  to  celebrate  between 
two  of  Thy  children.  May  the  occasion  be  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  epoch  in  the  advancement  of  hm 
manity  upon  the  earth,  and  may  the  declarations  now 
uttered  inspire  all  hearers  to  grander  conceptions  of 
love  and  devotion,  to  a  higher  expression  of  morality 
and  to  a  closer  communion  with  Thyself  as  ex  pressed 
in  all  of  the  beneficent  processes  of  Nature." 


382  LOMA, 

As  Loma  ceased  his  invocation,  the  organ  strains 
closed  in  a  thrilling  tremolo,  and  the  audience  waited 
in  silent  awe  for  the  rest  of  the  ceremony.  At  a  sig- 
nal from  Loma,  Mr.  McDonald  and  Mrs.  Bell  turned 
and  faced  the  audience.  Loma  addressed  the  as- 
semblage as  follows: 

"Dearly  beloved,  you  see  before  you  the  representa- 
tives of  the  present  and  the  coming  civilization,  at- 
tired in  colors  which  fittingly  portray  the  conditions 
existing  in  each.  The  civilization  of  the  present  is 
wholly  represented  by  man,  and  in  it  woman  has  no 
part.  In  this  civilization  she  is  regarded  as  the  chat- 
tel and  slave  of  man;  by  him  degraded  to  the  lowest 
uses,  and  ministering  to  his  passions  to  the  destruction 
of  herself  and  the  race.  Blackness  and  darkness,  the 
suggestive  conditions  of  this  unhappy  state  of  death, 
are  considered  by  you  appropriate  for  your  highest 
festivities.  Behold  in  woman,  attired  in  garments  of 
brightness  and  purity,  the  harbinger  of  the  exalted 
state  toward  which  you  are  advancing  and  which  you 
will  ultimately  reach.  In  this  sublime  ceremonial  the 
civilization  of  the  present  must  deliver  to  woman  her 
freedom,  that  she  may  stand  erect  in  her  independence 
and  strength  to  dispose  of  her  favors  of  love  according 
.  to  the  dictates  of  her  own  volition.'' 

As  Loma  spoke  the  last  sentence  of  this  address, 
Mr.  McDonald,  who  had  been  standing  near  Myrtle 
with  his  hand  clasping  hers,  while  she  leaned  upon  his 
shoulder,   released  his  hold  and  stepped  back  three 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  383 

paces.  Myrtle  remained  standing  facing  Loma,  who  re- 
sumed: 

"In  the  new  type  of  civilization  the  sweet  influences 
of  woman  must  have  an  equal  value  with  those  of 
man.  She  will  impress  her  sons  with  her  goodness 
as  man  will  impress  his  daughters  with  his  strength, 
and  the  combined  excellencies  of  both  uniting  in  im- 
proved offspring  will  fill  the  earth  with  a  humanity 
which  will  be  complete." 

At  this  point  Mrs.  Bell,  wTho  had  been  standing  with 
her  hand  clasping  that  of  her  son,  led  him  three  paces 
forward  where  he  stood  opposite  Myrtle,  released  his 
hand,  and  stepped  back  to  her  original  position,  where 
she  remained  standing  in  calm  but  regal  dignity.  Doc- 
tor Bell  faced  Loma  on  a  line  with  Myrtle,  standing 
about  three  feet  from  her  on  the  right. 

Loma,  glowing  with  an  exquisite  emanation  of  mag- 
netism, addressed  Myrtle  first: 

"Beloved  daughter,  hast  thou  in  the  exercise  of  thy 
intelligence,  without  undue  influence,  coercion  or  fear, 
and  in  the  full  possession  of  knowledge  of  what  is  im- 
plied in  the  sacred  relationship  of  consorts,  discov- 
ered the  one  who  is  able  to  satisfy  the  yearnings  of 
thy  nature,  and  to  whom  thou  art  drawn  in  ties  of 
complete  respect,  admiration  and  love?" 

To  which  Myrtle  responded  in  a  clear,  sweet  voice, 
"I  have." 

'Art  thou  conscious  of  intense  emotions  of  love  and 
devoted  affection  toward  this  man,  and  art  thou  fully 
persuaded  that   the  close  and  intimate  association  of 


384  LOMA, 

the  higher  expressions  of  love  will  be  a  source  of  per- 
petual enjoyment,  satisfaction  and  profit  to  thee,  so 
that  thou  wilt  be  sure  to  desire  its  continuance?" 

"I  am." 

"Hast  thou  tested  thyself  and  him  to  a  sufficient 
degree  that  thou  art  satisfied  that  ye  are  both  sincere 
in  your  professions  of  love,  and  dost  thou  believe  that 
ye  are  adapted  to  each  other  in  the  possession  of  those 
elements  of  character  that  are  necessary  to  each  other's 
happiness  and  the  perfection  of  offspring?" 

"I  have  tested  both  myself  and  him,  and  I  believe 
that  we  are  not  only  capable  of  promoting  each  other's 
happiness,  but  are  essential  to  it,  and  that  the  elements 
of  complete  parentage  will  be  represented  in  our 
union,"  responded  Myrtle. 

Loma  addressed  the  same  questions  to  Doctor  Bell, 
and  received  the  same  answers  in  a  clear,  firm  voice. 
He  then  took  the  doctor's  right  hand  in  his  left  and 
Myrtle's  right  hand  in  his  right,  and  joining  them, 
propounded  the  following  question: 

"Do  you,  in  obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  state,  de- 
clare in  the  presence  of  these  witnesses,  that  you  take 
each  other  as  husband  and  wife;  and  in  obedience  to 
the  higher  laws  of  Nature,  that  you  take  each  other 
into  the  higher,  holier  and  grander  relationship  of 
consorts,  for  mutual  love,  protection  and  enjoyment; 
and  for  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  humanity." 

To  which  both  of  the  contracting  parties  responded 
simultaneously: 

"I  do." 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENDS.  385 

"Then,"  said  Loma,  "by  virtue  of  the  authority  of 

the  laws  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  1  pronounce  you  hus- 
band and  wife.  And  in  the  name  of  humanity  and  its 
most  sacred  interests  I  require  of  each  of  you,  your 
declaration  of  the  relationship  of  consorts  and  its 
higher  and  holier  implications." 

As  Loma  concluded  the  last  sentence  the  organ  be- 
gan a  sweet,  low  strain,  which  blended  with  the  music 
of  Myrtle's  voice  as  she  clasped  the  doctor's  right  hand 
in  her  own  and  recited  the  following  declaration  with 
faultless  elocution: 

"/,  Myrtle  BurrihUm,  take  thee,  Edward  Bell,  as  my  ex- 
alted and  holy  consort.  I  declare  that  I  lore  thee,  that  f 
admire  and  respect  thee,  that  thou  dost  satisfy  the  //earn- 
ings of  my  nature,  and  that  1  will,  in  consideration  of  thy 
lore  and  devotion  expressed  toward  me,  present  myself  to 
thee  daily  in  the  most  lovable  and  companionable  aspect 
of  which  T  am  capable.  I  declare  that,  to  the  utmost  of 
my  ability,  I  will  promote  and  protect  thy  happiness,  thy 
welfare  and  thy  health.  I  concede  to  thee  full  liberty  of 
thought,  speech  and  action.  T  will  render  unto  thee  honor 
and  lore  as  thou  deserrest  both,  and  in  every  reasonable 
and  correct  manner  endearor  to  develop,  to  win  and  to 
keep  thy  love  and  res/wet.  I  declare  that  I  will  live  with 
thee  according  to  the  laws  of  Nature,  and  should  it  appear 
at  any  time  that  my  companionship  is  injurious  to  thy 
welfare,  thy  health  or  thy  advancement  to  a  higher  /dune 
of  life,  T  will  voluntarily  remove  myself  from  thee,  and 
giving  thee  complete  liberty,  will  endeavor  still  to  promote 
thy  welfare  by  evevy  means  in  my  power." 


386  LOMA, 

As  Myrtle  finished  this  declaration  she  raised  her 
face  toward  the  doctor,  who  encircled  her  with  his 
arm  and  imprinted  a  loving  kiss  upon  her  lips.  Then 
clasping  her  right  hand  in  his  own,  the  doctor  ad- 
dressed her  in  a  similar  manner: 

"I,  Edward  Bell,  take  thee,  Myrtle  Burnham,  as  my  ex- 
alted and  holy  consort.  I  declare  that  I  love  thee,  that  I 
admire  and  respect  thee,  that  thou  dost  satisfy  the  yearn- 
ings of  my  nature,  and  that  I  will,  in  consideration  of  thy 
love  and  devotion  expressed  toward  me,  present  myself  to 
thee  daily  in  the  most  lovable  and  companionable  aspect 
of  which  I  am  capable.  I  declare  that,  to  the  utmost  of 
my  ability,  I  will  promote  and  protect  thy  happiness,  thy 
welfare  and  thy  health.  I  concede  to  thee  full  liberty  of 
thought,  speech  and  action.  I  will  render  unto  thee  honor 
and  love  as  thou  deservest  both,  and  in  every  reasonable 
and  correct  manner  endeavor  to  develop,  to  win  and  to 
keep  thy  love  and  respect.  I  declare  that  I  will  live  with 
thee  according  to  the  laics  of  Nature,  and  should  it  appear 
at  any  time  that  my  companionship  is  injurious  to  thy 
welfare,  thy  health  or  thy  advancement  to  a  higher  plane 
of  life,  I  will  voluntarily  remove  myself  from  thee,  and 
giving  thee  complete  liberty,  will  endeavor  still  to  promote 
thy  welfare  by  every  means  in  my  power." 

As  the  doctor  finished  his  declaration  Myrtle  em- 
braced and  kissed  him,  while  Loma  advancing  placed 
upon  the  third  finger  of  the  left  hand  of  each  a  mag- 
nificent diamond  ring,  each  bearing  a  device  enclosing 
two  beautiful  gems,  encircled  by  a  golden  band,  say- 
ing: 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENTS. 


387 


"Beloved  children  of  Nature,  receive  the  insignia  of 
the  exalted  and  holy  state  of  loving,  devoted  and  nat- 
ural consorts." 

Then  raising  his  hands  above  them  in  benediction, 
he  exclaimed : 

"May  all  good  influences  surround  and  bless  you. 
May  Nature's  highest,  sweetest  and  holiest  pleasures 
be  yours,  and  may  the  fruit  of  your  union  be  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  race  of  exalted  types  of  humanity 
who  shall  bless  the  world  they  inhabit  and  minister 
constantly  to  their  own  happiness  and  advancement. 
Id  the  Dame  of  the  higher  civilization,  I  pronounce  you 
accepted  and  devoted  cODSorts  in  purity  and  love." 

Loma  coDcluded  this  sublime  ceremony  by  imprint- 
ing a  paternal  kiss  upon  the  brow  of  each.  He  was 
followed  by  Mrs.  Bell,  who  embraced  first  Myrtle  and 
theo  the  doctor  in  her  maternal  congratulations.  Mr. 
McDonald  followed,  and  then  the  Associated  Philoso- 
phers. \Yhile  the  organ  pealed  sublime  and  inspiring 
strains  the  invited  guests,  who  had  all  been  deeply 
affected  by  the  splendid  exhibition  of  Lorna's  powers 
and  not  less  by  the  sublime  implications  of  the  decla- 
rations of  the  consorts,  pressed  forward  to  overwhelm 
the  happy  couple  with  every  demonstration  of  affec- 
tion and  enthusiasm.  Even  Mrs.  McDonald,  narrow 
and  bigoted  as  she  was,  shared  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
moment,  and  shed  tears  as  she  received  from  Myrtle's 
lips  a  kiss  which  expressed  so  much  of  forgiveness  and 
goodness  that  she  could  not  be  insensible  to  its  angelic 
sweetness. 


388  LOMA, 

The  reception  continued  for  three  hours,  during 
which  time  an  excellent  orchestra  discoursed  sweet 
music.  A  superb  menu  was  served  in  the  dining  room, 
in  which  function  the  doctor's  steward  distinguished 
himself,  and  every  guest  was  made  to  feel  the  genuine- 
ness and  excellence  of  the  hospitality  dispensed. 

When  the  last  guest  had  departed,  and  Myrtle  and 
the  doctor  were  once  more  at  ease  with  Loma  and 
Mrs.  Bell,  Loma  said,  as  he  bent  over  the  cradle  and 
impressed  a  kiss  upon  the  brow  of  the  sleeping  babe, 
which  during  the  exciting  events  of  the  afternoon  had 
been  under  the  faithful  guardianship  of  the  devoted 
Nora: 

"Beloved,  it  is  now  time  for  you  to  congratulate  me. 
My  mission  to  earth  is  finished,  and  all  that  remains 
is  for  me  to  return  to  my  native  planet,  where  my  be- 
loved consort  is  anxiously  awaiting  the  successful  con- 
summation of  my  journey,  to  enjoy  the  felicity  of  see- 
ing me  enrolled  in  the  Academy  of  Heroes." 

This  announcement  would  have  been  received  by  the 
friends  with  sorrow  had  it  not  been  for  two  facts 
which  prevented,  it.  In  the  time  he  had  associated 
with  them  Loma  had  succeeded  in  instilling  into  their 
minds  so  much  of  the  principles  of  equity  that  selfish- 
ness was  destroyed,  and  they  rejoiced  exceedingly  in 
what  they  knew  to  be  a  source  of  supreme  joy  to  their 
instructor  and  lover.  Moreover,  Loma  had  assured 
them  that  the  perfection  of  their  clairvoyant  sense 
would  enable  them  to  hold  communication  with  him 
occasionally,  and  he  explained  that  Jesus  had  taught 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  389 

the  same  art  to  his  disciples,  and  that  it  was  the  first 
exercise  of  this  power  which  produced  the  remarkable 
occurrences  of  the  day  of  Fentecost,  as  recorded  in  the 
second  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The 
knowledge  of  this  fact  was  a  great  comfort  to  the 
friends  as  the  time  of  Loma's  departure  drew  near; 
but  even  if  the  prospect  of  this  sweet  privilege  had 
been  denied  them  they  could  not  have  exhibited  selfish- 
ness enough  to  have  desired  to  detain  him  longer  from 
the  joys  that  awaited  him  on  his  return  to  Venus. 

Loma.  had  instructed  them  partially  as  to  the  re- 
quirements of  his  preparation  for  the  journey,  and  il 
was  therefore  no  surprise  when  he  announced  that  he 
would  take  the  train  for  Denver,  Colorado,  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  and  that  he  desired  the  doctor  and 
Myrtle  as  well  as  Mrs.  Bell  to  accompany  him.  Prep- 
arations were  immediately  made  for  the  journey,  and 
Nora  was  included  in  the  party,  as  it  was  impossible 
to  separate  Myrtle  from  her  offspring  at  this  time,  and 
no  one  was  deemed  to  be  as  capable  of  filling  the  duties 
of  maid  and  nurse  as  she.  Nora  was  delighted  with 
the  prospect  of  the  journey  when  it  was  announced 
to  her,  and  after  the  simple  preparations  were  made 
for  the  trip  and  tickets  and  berths  were  secured,  the 
family  retired  to  rest,  to  gain  strength  for  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  morrow. 

The  relations  of  Doctor  Bell  and  Myrtle  remained 
practically  unchanged.  Both  were  aware  that  at  least 
ninety  days  must  elapse  between  the  birth  of  Myrtle's 
offspring  and  the  beginning  of  any  sexual   relations. 


390  L0MA> 

Their  previous  association  bad  been  as  intimate  as  it 
could  be  short  of  this  degree,  and  the  ceremony  of  con- 
sorting had  simply  made  their  relations  permanent. 
Loma  had  imparted  to  them  in  a  special  instruction  a 
complete  knowledge  of  the  exalted  and  perfect  way  in 
which  the  sexual  relations  were  performed  upon  Venus, 
and  they  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  proper  time  with 
calmness  and  the  full  consciousness  that  when  it  did 
arrive  they  would  experience  the  highest  joys  of 
which  their  natures  were  capable.  They  were  espe- 
cially interested  in  the  instruction  imparted  by  Loma 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  number  and  sex  of  off- 
spring were  regulated,  and  the  uses  of  sexual  inter- 
course in  the  strengthening  and  fortifying  of  every 
part  of  the  brain.  The  doctor  had,  long  before  Loma's 
advent  upon  the  earth,  taught  his  patients  that  the 
prevailing  habit  of  man  and  wife  occupying  the  same 
bed  was  injurious  to  health  and  destructive  of  connu- 
bial happiness.  Consequently,  upon  this  wedding 
night,  the  beginning  of  a  new  civilization,  fraught 
with  tremendous  consequences  of  good  to  the  human 
race,  the  bride  and  groom  retired  to  separate  apart- 
ments, and  rested  in  the  negative  recuperation  of  their 
energies,  in  the  simple  consciousness  of  complete  hap- 
piness in  the  present  and  the  hope  of  an  exquisite 
realization  of  joy  in  the  future. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 


THE  ASCENSION. 


"And  when  he  had  spoken  these  things,  while  they  beheld. 
He  was  taken  up  and  a  cloud  received  Him  out  of  their  sight" 

The  journey  of  Loma  and  his  devoted  friends  from 
Chicago  to  Denver  was  accomplished  without  special 
incident.  The  party  enjoyed  the  trip  as  they  did 
everything  else,  in  the  association  of  congenial  person- 
alities, and,  as  Loma  remarked,  so  perfect  was  their 
harmony  that  he  would  have  frequently  forgotten  that 
he  was  not  already  in  Venus,  if  the  incongruities  of  the 
strangers  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  did  not 
forcibly  remind  him  that  he  was  still  on  earth. 

"But,"  he  exclaimed  enthusiastically,  as  he  caressed 
the  baby  to  which  he  was  as  much  devoted  as  its 
mother,  "this  glorious  boy  will  soon  teach  the  world 
a  better  way.  These  plebeian  crowds  who  throng  the 
stations  we  pass,  burdened  with  afflictions  which  they 
are  deluded  into  regarding  as  natural,  little  realize  the 
nature  or  the  potentialities  of  this  sweet  babe  who  has 
come  to  lead  them  into  a  higher  civilization.  But  it 
will  come  to  pass,  and  future  generations  will  bless 
the  work  we  have  inaugurated." 

When  the  party  arrived  in  Denver  they  proceeded 
at  once  to  the  Brown    Palace   Hotel,    where   elegant 

(391) 


392  LOMA, 

apartments  had  been  engaged.  Loma  had  explained 
that  the  preparations  which  were  being  made  for  his 
transit  to  Venus  were  about  perfected,  but  that  the 
distinguished  electricians  having  the  matter  in  charge 
were  desirous  of  making  several  tests,  so  as  to  insure 
his  safety,  and  it  was  probable  that  they  might  be  de- 
layed several  days,  in  order  to  secure  the  exact  condi- 
tions required  for  so  long  a.  transit. 

Doctor  Bell  was  much  interested  in  the  scientific 
nature  of  the  process  of  translation,  and  begged  Loma 
to  impart  to  him  as  much  of  the  process  as  would  be 
consistent  with  his  professional  and  scientific  ethics. 
Loma  smilingly  assented. 

"There  is  nothing  mysterious  about  the  process  of 
translation,  and  nothing  that  I  am  required  to  conceal 
from  you  now,  since  you  have  been  instructed  in  the 
principles  of  complete  education.  The  ability  to  sus- 
tain such  a  translation  is  merely  a  question  of  the 
power  of  a  complete  and  educated  brain  to  generate  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  magnetism  to  sustain  itself 
against  the  drawing  power  of  the  electrical  receptivity 
of  the  earth's  sphere.  How  to  overcome  the  attraction 
of  gravitation  has  been  the  greatest  problem  with 
which  your  scientists  have  grappled,  but  they  will  not 
solve  it  until  they  develop  complete  brains.  Then 
they  will  find  it  very  easy  to  walk  on  the  water  as 
Jesus  did,  and  as  Peter  could  have  done  if  he  had  had 
a  better  brain.  You  will  remember  that  when  Peter 
began  to  sink,  Jesus  caught  him  by  the  hand,  after 
which  he  had  no  difficulty  because  the  magnetism  de 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  393 

veloped  by  the  complete  brain  of  Jesus  was  sufficient 
for  both  when  the  connection  was  established. 

"Now,  the  repulsion  of  magnetism  being  sufficient  to 
sustain  Jesus  and  Peter  upon  the  water,  you  can  readily 
understand  that  if  the  power  of  repulsion  can  be  suffi- 
ciently increased  it  would  sustain  them  in  the  air,  or 
in  interstellar  space.  It  is  this  repulsion  of  magnet- 
ism which  enables  your  spiritualistic  mediums  to  de- 
velop the  weak  phenomena  of  table  tipping,  etc.  Now, 
it  is  simply  this  principle  we  use  in  translation  from 
Venus  to  the  earth  or  from  the  earth  to  Venus.  The 
body  translated  must  have  sufficient  power  to  generate 
magnetism  at  will  sufficient  to  repel  it  from  the  earth 
and  other  planets,  and  to  decrease  this  magnetism  as  it 
approaches  its  destination  so  as  to  permit  the  force  of 
electrical  receptivity  to  draw  it,  and  yet  retain  suffi- 
cient magnetism  to  exert  resistance  enough  to  prevent 
a  violent  fall.  This  requires  education  and  training, 
as  does  every  other  form  of  athletic  exercise. 

"To  initiate  a  transit  it  is  best  to  start  from  a  high 
altitude,  as  the  rarer  the  atmosphere  the  less  resistance 
we  encounter,  and  we  are  also  aided  by  the  earth's  mag- 
netism, which  is  constantly  being  radiated  from  the 
summits  of  mountains.  This  is  why  Jesus  took  the 
disciples  who  were  privileged  to  witness  his  ascension 
upon  a  mountain,  as  related  in  the  Bible,  and  we 
have  come  to  Colorado  for  the  same  reason.  To  finish 
a  transit  it  is  best  to  choose  a  location  having  a  low 
altitude,  a  dense  atmosphere  and  a  large  body  of  fresh 
water,  into  which  the  body  can  finally  land,  as  these 


394  LOMA, 

conditions  furnish  a  natural  cushion,  and  aid  us  in  es- 
tablishing resistance  sufficient  to  prevent  a  violent  con- 
cussion. These  conditions  were  admirably  met  in  Lake 
Michigan,  as  you  know.  I  have  chosen  Pike's  Peak, 
near  this  city,  as  the  place  of  my  exit  from  the  earth  be- 
cause it  is  easily  accessible,  and  the  terminus  of  my 
transit  will  be  in  Lake  Marieno  in  Venus,  which  is  only 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  my  residence,  and 
where  my  exalted  consort  and  nearly  all  of  my  lovers, 
sisters  and  brothers  are  already  assembled,  together 
with  some  twenty-five  thousand  other  interested  per- 
sons." 

Loma's  fine  countenance  glowed  with  enthusiasm  as 
he  spoke  of  the  welcome  awaiting  him,  and  his  ardor 
was  not  dampened  when  Myrtle  threw  her  arms  around 
his  neck  and  imprinted  a  passionate  kiss  upon  his  lips, 
saying: 

"Take  that  kiss  to  your  glorious  consort  from  the 
daughter  of  earth  whom  you  have  so  greatly  blessed 
by  your  mission.  Tell  her  that  next  to  you  I  love  and 
honor  her,  and  I  know  that  what  inconvenience  she  has 
suffered  through  your  absence  will  be  more  than  com- 
pensated by  the  magnificent  honors  which  await  your 
return." 

"She  has  hardly  suffered  inconvenience,"  said  Loma, 
smiling,  "for  each  night  I  have  held  communication 
with  her  by  means  of  clairvoyance  in  which  we  are  both 
adepts.  In  fact,  much  of  the  success  of  my  mission  has 
been  due  to  her  splendid  sustaining  influences,  and 
when  I  return  to  Venus  she  will  be  duly  honored  for 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  395 

her  share  in  the  work,  as  will  also  a  large  number  of 
persons  who  have  assisted  me;  two  of  whom  I  hope  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you  before  many 

hours." 

As  Loma  finished  this  statement  a  telegram  was 
handed  to  him  by  a  bell  boy.     He  opened  it  and  read : 

Manitou.  Colorado,  March  13,  1896. 
Preparations    complete.     All    ready    for    you    to-morrow. 
Weather  indications  perfect.  Davenol. 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Loma.  "This  is  from  Professor 
Davenol,  the  finest  electrician  in  Venus.  He  awaits  us 
at  Manitou.     We  will  depart  at  once  and  sleep  to-night 

iu  Manitou." 

A  telegram  was  sent  to  Professor  Davenol  announ- 
cing the  time  the  party  would  arrive  in  Manitou,  and  in 
a  few  hours  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  train  bore  Loma 
and  his  friends  to  that  celebrated  watering  place.     At 
that  time  of  the  year  most  of  the  hotels  were  closed, 
and  the  cog-wheel  railway  made  few  trips  to  the  sum- 
mit of  Pike's  Peak,  but  when  Loma  and  his  party  ar- 
rived they  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Professor  Davenol 
in  person,  who  explained  that  he  had  perfected  all 
arrangements,  and  that  after  a  good  night's  rest  the 
party  would  be  taken  to  the  summit  on  a  special  train. 
Professor  Davenol   was,  like  Loma,   a  magnificent 
specimen  of  manhood,  and  an  example  of  complete  edu- 
cation.    He  differed  from  Loma  in  the  fact  thai  he  was 
of  somewhal  darker  complexion  and  did  not  speak  the 
English  language  as  fluently.    There  was  a  peculiar 
accenl  in  his  pronunciation  which  was  distinctly  dif- 


396  LOMA, 

ferent  from  that  of  any  foreigner  Doctor  Bell  had  ever 
met,  but  he  was,  like  Loma,  a  prince  of  gentlemen  in 
his  social  manners  and  general  deportment. 

After  a  delicious  night's  rest  and  an  excellent  break- 
fast the  party  took  seats  in  the  special  train  which  was 
waiting  to  convey  them  to  the  summit,  and  in  a  short 
time  found  themselves  at  the  door  of  the  old  signal  sta- 
tion, where  they  were  provided  with  excellent  shelter 
from  the  intense  cold  which  prevailed  at  that  altitude 
at  that  season  of  the  year. 

Professor  Davenol  had  arranged  that  the  special 
should  return  to  Manitou  and  that  the  party  should 
be  alone  on  the  summit  when  the  transit  was  initiated. 
He  had  explained  to  the  officials  of  the  railway  that 
Doctor  Bell  and  the  two  ladies  would  return  without 
himself  and  Loma,  as  he  desired  to  avoid  any  suspicion 
that  might  be  caused  by  their  absence  on  the  return 
trip.  As  the  transaction  was  not  expected  to  con- 
sume more  than  a  few  hours,  Nora  and  the  baby  had 
been  left  at  the  hotel  in  Manitou.  The  special  was  to 
return  to  the  summit  for  Doctor  Bell  and  the  ladies 
precisely  at  noon. 

At  precisely  10  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  14th  day  of 
March,  the  party  arrived  at  the  summit.  At  10 :30  the 
special  was  returning  to  Manitou,  and  the  friends  were 
in  possession  of  the  situation. 

Then  occurred  a  succession  of  the  most  remarkable 
phenomena  ever  exhibited  upon  the  earth. 

Professor  Davenol  and  Loma  divested  themselves  of 
clothing  as  soon  as  the  special  disappeared  around  the 


A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS.  397 

curve  of  the  mountain.  Then  the  professor  marked  a 
large  granite  boulder,  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
signal  station,  and  drew  around  this  boulder  a  circle 
one  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  leaving  the  boulder 
in  the  center.  A  rope  was  tightly  stretched  around 
this  circle,  and  the  professor  warned  the  members 
of  the  little  group  not  to  come  within  it  for  twenty 
minutes  after  his  departure,  as  the  results  of  a  viola- 
tion of  this  caution  would  probabhy  be  fatal. 

When  these  preparations  were  completed  Loma  took 
an  affectionate  leave  of  his  friends,  holding  Myrtle 
last,  in  a  long,  loving  embrace.  Then  he  stepped 
lightly  inside  the  circle,  and  joined  the  professor. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  third  actor  appeared  upon 
the  scene.  This  was  another  man,  evidently  a  citizen 
of  Venus,  from  his  likeness  to  the  others,  but  who  ap- 
peared, in  a  halo  of  magnetism,  descending  from  space 
above  the  summit.  As  he  approached,  Loma  and  the 
professor  began  to  glow  with  great  fervor  of  mag- 
netism, evidently  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  ap- 
proaching person  to  resist  the  force  of  gravitation.  In 
this  they  were  perfectly  successful,  as  the  new  comer 
gracefully  -approached  the  summit  and  alighted  with- 
out any  greater  shock  than  would  be  experienced  in 
stepping  out  of  a  carriage. 

Loma  and  Professor  Davenol  decreased  their  mag- 
netism for  a  moment,  and,  approaching  the  edge  of  the 
circle,  Loma  said: 

"Allow  me  to  introduce  my  devoted  brother,  Pro- 
fessor Loyalice.     He  is  Professor  Davenol's  assistant, 


398  L°MA- 

and  has  just  completed  a  transit  over  the  route  to  in- 
sure my  safety  and  perfect  working  conditions.  He 
does  not  speak  the  language  of  earth,  but  he  assures 
me  that  everything  is  auspicious  for  my  transit." 

Doctor  Bell  and  the  ladies  bowed,  and  Professor 
Loyalice  acknowledged  this  introduction  with  a  grace- 
ful gesture,  after  which  Loma  said : 

"Farewell,  beloved;  but  remember  that  I  am  always 
with  you  in  the  sweet  communion  of  the  highest  sense." 

Then,  as  his  body  and  those  of  his  two  associates 
began  to  glow  with  incomparable  brightness,  he  made 
one  of  his  exquisite  gestures  of  gracious  dignity  and 
love,  smiled  sweetly  upon  his  three  friends,  who  clung 
to  each  other  outside  the  circle  in  an  ecstasy  of  intense 
expectation,  and  began  to  rise. 

His  progress  was  rapid  and  with  gradually  accel- 
erating velocity  until  he  was  lost  to  sight.  Professor 
Davenol  and  his  assistant  remained  motionless,  but 
continued  to  glow  with  the  greatest  fervor  for  several 
minutes.  Then  they  relaxed  the  intensity  of  their 
radiation,  but  remained  immovable  for  several 
minutes  longer.  Suddenly  from  the  space  above  the 
summit,  with  startling  distinctness,  came  the  sound 
of  Loma's  voice,  pure  and  musical  as  when  he  was 
upon  the  earth,  but  having  a  peculiar  quality  in  the 
tone  which  betrayed  the  fact  that  it  was  sounding 
through  some  form  of  telephone  constructed  upon  a 
stupendous  scale: 

"BELOVED,  BE  OF  GOOD  CHEER.-  I  HAVE  SAFELY 
ARRIVED  AT  HOME  AND  AM  IN  THE  SWEET  EM- 
BRACES OF  MY  PRECIOUS  CONSORT." 


A  CITIZEN  OP  VENUS.  399 

Professor  Davenol  smiled  and  looked  relieved.  In 
a  moment  he  and  Professor  Loyalice  began  to  glow 
again  with  great  intensity  of  magnetism,  and  Professor 
Loyalice  began  to  rise,  and  in  a  few  moments  disap- 
peared as  Loma  had  done.  Again  a  moment  of  sus- 
pense, and  once  more  the  telephonic  sound  was  heard, 
but  this  time  it  was  a  strange  voice  and  in  a  language 
unknown  to  Doctor  Bell  and  the  ladies.  But  Professor 
Davenol  seemed  to  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  results, 
for  he  bowed  and  smiled,  and,  beginning  once  more  to 
glow  with  extraordinary  fervor,  rose  majestically, 
waving  his  hands  to  the  three  absorbed  spectators.  In 
a  moment  he  also  had  disappeared  in  the  blue  vault 
of  the  heavens;  but  although  the  doctor  and  the  two 
ladies  gazed  and  listened  for  several  minutes  in  spell- 
bound attention,  no  sound  occurred.  With  the  de- 
parture of  the  last  citizen  of  Venus  the  telephonic  con- 
nection had  ceased  to  exist. 

Doctor  Bell,  looking  at  the  spot  from  which  Professor 
Davenol  had  departed,  noticed  that  the  boulder  which 
the  professor  had  marked  had  disappeared,  and  ki  its 
place  was  a  pool  of  molten  lava,  and  the  air  was  per- 
meated with  the  odor  of  granite  in  a  state  of  fusion. 

Mrs.  Bell  and  Myrtle,  overcome  with  emotion,  sobbed 
upon  the  doctor's  shoulders.  The  latter,  however,  had 
been  so  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  majestic 
scientific  phenomena  presented  to  his  senses  that  he 
could  think  of  little  else.  But  the  emotions  of 
the  ladies  recalled  him  to  the  duties  of  the  hour,  and, 
as  he  placed  one  arm  around  his  queenly  mother  and 


400  LOMA, 

the  other  around  his  lovely  consort  and  led  them  to- 
ward the  special  train,  which  at  that  moment  appeared 
upon  the  side  of  the  mountain,  he  felt  that  he  was  in- 
deed upon  the  mountain  top  physically,  intellectually 
and  socially. 


THE  END. 


SCIENTIFIC  PHRENOLOGY. 

The  author  of  this  work  sincerely  believes  that  the 
code  of  Gallheim  announced  by  Loma,  if  conscientious- 
ly followed,  would  result  in  a  complete  revolution  of  so- 
cial conditions  and  a  realization  of  the  felicity  which 
he  depicts  as  actually  existing  upon  Venus.  The  first, 
third,  and  fourth  articles  of  the  code  will  be  readily 
understood  by  advanced  thinkers.  But  the  success  of 
the  code  depends  no  less  upon  the  second  article,  which 
enforces  the  doctrine  that  by  the  adoption  of  a 
correct  system  of  character  study,  i.  c,  mental  phi- 
losophy, human  nature  can  be  understood  and  es- 
timated at  its  correct  value. 

The  system  of  mental  philosophy  inaugurated  by 
Francis  Joseph  Gall,  M.  D.,  in  Vienna,  in  178G~7,  elab- 
orated by  his  pupil  John  Gasper  Spurzheim,  and  later 
students,  including  the  author,  presents  the  foundation 
for  such  a  system.  It  is  still  in  its  infancy,  but  it  fur- 
nishes a  more  practical  method  for  the  study  and  de- 
termination of  the  elements  of  human  character  than 
any  system  of  mental  philosophy  ever  promulgated. 
The  pure  doctrines  taught  by  Gall  and  Spurzheim 
luivc  suffered  much  at  the  hands  of  charlatans,  quacks, 
and  pseudo-scientists,  so  much  as  to  be  the  subject  of 
great  ridicule  by  the  misinformed.  It  has  suffered 
hardly  less  at  the  hands  of  its  ignorant  and  bigoted 

26  (401) 


402  PHRENOLOGY. 

friends,  who  have  sought  to  make  the  doctrine  of  the 
new  science  conform  to  existing  standards  of  morals 
and  religion. 

Believing  that  the  present  work  would  arouse  an  in- 
terest in  the  science,  the  author  has  considered  it  wise 
to  append  a  brief  statement  of  its  leading  principles 
and  doctrines,  as  much  for  the  purpose  of  educating 
the  reader  to  a  comprehension  that  Phrenology  is  not 
what  it  is  usually  represented  to  be,  as  for  the  addi- 
tional purpose  of  creating  an  interest  for  its  more 
comprehensive  and  exhaustive  study.  At  best,  such 
a  treatise  can  only  consist  of  brief  statements  of  prin- 
ciples and  definitions.  These  are  given  as  they  are  ap- 
plied by  the  author  in  his  professional  practice. 


DEFINITIONS. 

Phrenology  is  the  science  of  Intelligence.  It  is  a 
system  of  mental  philosophy  based  upon  accurate  ob- 
servation and  comparison  of  the  origin,  structure,  and 
manifestations  of  intelligent  organisms. 

As  a  science,  Phrenology  deals  with  the  causes  and 
effects  of  Intelligence.  As  an  art,  it  consists  in  estimat- 
ing the  kind  and  amount  of  Intelligence  manifested  by 
any  organism. 

Intelligence  is  the  power  or  capacity  of  any  living 
organism  to  take  cognizance  of  the  facts  of  its  environ- 
ment. The  amount  and  kind  of  Intelligence  depends 
on  the  structure  and  development  of  the  organism,  and 


PHRENOLOGY.  403 

these  are  always  the  product  of  the  environment  of  the 

organism  and  that  of  its  ancestors. 

All  things  whatsoever  are  included  in  existence. 

Existence  is  composed  of  two  prime,  ungenerated 
potentialities,  Space  and  Matter. 

Space  is  unlimited,  continuous,  persistent,  and  im- 
movable. It  is  the  prime,  ungenerated  negative  female 
parent  of  all  that  is. 

Matter  is  limited,  divisible,  consistent,  and  movable. 
It  is  the  prime,  ungenerated,  positive  male  parent  of  all 
that  is. 

By  virtue  of  the  inherent  genderic  degrees  of  state 
with  which  Space  and  Matter  are  endowed,  like  de- 
grees of  genitive  passion  are  continuously  generated 
between  them. 

Electricity  is  the  genitive  passion  of  Space.  It  is 
manifested  by  the  states  of  gravity,  receptivity,  cold- 
ness, and  darkness. 

Magnetism  is  the  genitive  passion  of  Matter.  It  is 
manifested  by  the  states  of  vibration,  radiation,  heat, 
and  light. 

The  eternal  affinities  which  exist  between  these  con- 
ditions produce  all  the  phenomena  of  growth. 

Growth  is  the  change  which  takes  [dace  in  a  struc- 
ture in  obedience  to  the  law  of  conformity  to  the 
changes  which  take  place  in  its  environment. 

All  objects  are  the  product  of  Growth.  This  is  as 
true  of  stars  and  planets,  mountains  and  rivers,  as  il  is 
of  vegetables  and  animals.  All  things  originate  from 
ancestors,  increase  by  nourishment,  and  disintegrate 
by  depletion. 


404  PHRENO  LOG"i . 

All  substances  are  composed  of  molecules,  which  are 
the  smallest  possible  divisions  of  substances.  All 
molecules  are  composed  of  atoms,  which  are  the 
smallest  possible  divisions  of  matter.  The  difference 
in  substances  is  due  to  the  difference  in  the  composi- 
tion of  the  molecules.  The  difference  in  molecules  is 
due  to  the  different  forms  of  association  of  which  atoms 
are  capable. 

Every  individual  atom  is  capable  of  conforming  to  its 
environment  in  states  of  electricity  and  magnetism. 
When  magnetism  dominates  in  the  environment,  the 
atom  vibrates  and  radiates  its  own  magnetism.  When 
electricity  dominates  in  the  environment  the  atom  be- 
comes composed  and  contracts  its  magnetism.  Asso- 
ciated atoms  repel  each  other  when  vibratory  and  radi- 
ant, and  cohere  when  composed  and  receptive. 

These  principles  explain  the  expansion  and  contrac- 
tion of  matter  in  different  states  of  temperature,  i.  e., 
of  electricity  and  magnetism. 

All  changes  in  the  conditions  of  space  and  matter 
are  due  to  changes  in  conditions  of  electricity  and 
magnetism.  Therefore  all  changes  in  the  environment 
of  any  object  are  attributable  to  the  same  great  causes. 
The  inherent,  property  of  atoms  to  conform  to  condi- 
tions of  environment  as  to  states  of  electricity  and 
magnetism  causes  all  associated  atoms  to  behave  ac- 
cording to  the  needs  of  the  association,  whatever  it 
may  be.  Therefore  every  body  changes  according  to  the 
movements    of    the    atoms    composing    it,  and  these 


PHRENOLOGY.  405 

changes  are  always  in  conformity  to  the  changing 
nature  of  the  environment. 

Organisms  are  therefore  simple  or  complex,  accord- 
ing to  the  simple  or  complex  nature  of  their  structure 
and  the  simple  or  complex  conditions  of  the  environ- 
ment with  which  they  are  brought  into  contact. 

Man  is  the  most  complex  organism  known  to  this 
planet.  He  stands  at  the  end  of  a  long  line  of  de- 
velopment, extending  from  the  simplest  form  of  min- 
eral, through  the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms,  to 
his  own  position  in  the  cosmos,  and  embracing  and  in- 
cluding in  his  own  structure  a  representation  of  evnV 
form  below  him.  But  when  this  exceedingly  complex 
structure  is  analyzed  it  is  found  to  consist  wholly  of 
combinations  of  the  simpler  forms  which  existed  before 
him. 

In  the  light  of  a  rational  philosophy,  therefore,  we 
are  forced  to  consider  man  as  a  creature  of  growth,  and 
subject  to  exactly  the  same  natural  laws  as  the  objects 
which  surround  him.  Any  attempt  to  regard  him  as 
an  exception  results  in  the  calamities  which  must  al- 
ways attend  presumption  and  ignorance. 

The  Intelligence  of  Man  is  his  power  to  comprehend 
the  conditions  of  his  environment.  The  relative  de- 
gree  of  this  intelligence  which  any  individual  will 
possess  depends  upon  the  completeness  and  the  com- 
plexity of  his  structure.  The  intelligence  of  the  man 
is  the  aggregation  of  the  power  of  his  associated  atoms. 
If  there  is  any  part  of  his  organization  incomplete,  in 
its  perfect  relation  to  his  environment,  his  structure 


406 


PHRENOLOGY. 


lacks  the  requisite  complexity  of  parts  and  a  loss  of 
intelligence  is  the  result. 

The  Conditions  of  Enyironment  can  only  be  im- 
pressed upon  an  organism  by  the  impacts  of  the  vari- 
ous magnetisms  of  the  surrounding  objects  constitut- 
ing the  environment.  These  impacts  will  make  them- 
selves felt  by  a  variety  of  radiations  and  vibrations  of 
magnetism,  differing  in  intensity  and  rapidity,  cor- 
responding to  the  conditions  of  the  bodies  from  which 
they  emanate.  If  the  organism  upon  which  these 
radiations  and  vibrations  impinge  is  susceptible  to  cor- 
responding receptivity  and  similar  vibrations,  the  con- 
ditions of  the  surrounding  bodies  will  be  communicated 
to  it  and  it  will  respond  to  each  with  a  corresponding 
state  of  vibration.  This  corresponding  state  of  re- 
ceptivity and  vibration  constitutes  sensibility. 

An  organism  develops  degrees  of  intelligence  accord- 
ing to  its  sensibility  to  some  or  all  of  the  conditions  of 
its  environment.  As  these  conditions  are  manifested 
by  vibrations  of  lower  and  higher  rapidity,  organisms 
are  provided  with  Organs  of  Sense,  and  corresponding 
Senses,  according  to  the  degree  of  intelligence  devel- 
oped. Each  organ  of  sense  comprehends  a  different 
stage  of  receptivity  and  vibration,  and  each  stage  is 
susceptible  to  different  degrees.  The  stages  cor- 
respond to  the  different  senses  and  the  degrees  cor- 
respond to  the  different  sensations  experienced  within 
the  domain  of  each  sense. 

Man  has  Seven  Senses,  to-wit,  Gender,  Touch, 
Taste,  Hearing,  Sight  Smell,  and  Clairvoyance.     He  is 


PHRENOLOGY.  407 

provided  with  corresponding  organs  of  sense,  but  the 
sexual  organs  of  gender  have  been  ignored,  and  1  lit* 
organs  of  Clairvoyance  within  the  brain  are  not  visible 
externally  and  have  not  been  located,  but  we  know 
the^y  exist. 

The  Sense  of  Gender  corresponds  to  the  lowest 
stage  of  radiation  and  vibration.  The  sexual  organs 
are  attuned  to  these  radiations  and  vibrations  with  a 
corresponding  stage  of  receptivity  and  susceptibility 
to  vibration,  and  communicate  their  sensations  to  cor- 
responding organs  of  the  brain. 

The  Sense  of  Touch  takes  cognizance  of  the  next 
higher  stage  of  radiation  and  vibration,  and  communi- 
cates its  sensations  to  the  brain  in  a  similar  manner, 
through  the  skin,  and  especially  that  of  the  hands  and 
feet. 

The  Sense  of  Taste  takes  cognizance  of  the  third 
stage  of  radiation  and  vibration,  through  the  lips, 
tongue,  and  palate. 

The  Sense  of  Hearing  enables  the  individual  to 
comprehend  the  radiations  and  vibrations  which  exist 
in  the  fourth  stage,  and  ears  are  provided  for  this  pur- 
pose attuned  only  to  the  vibrations  of  this  stage. 

The  Sense  of  Sight  receives  the  radiations  and  vi- 
brations of  the  fifth  stage,  and  the  exquisitely  sensi- 
tive machinery  of  the  eyes  is  beautifully  adapted  to 
the  purpose. 

The  Sense  of  Smell,  through  the  nostrils,  receives 
impressions  pertaining  to  the  sixth  stage  which  are 
more  delicate  than  those  of  sight 


408  PHRENOLOGY. 

The  Sense  of  Clairvoyance  receives  impressions  of 
radiations  and  vibrations  so  intensely  penetrating  and 
exquisitely  refined  that  they  pass  through  all  known 
substances,  and  for  this  reason  the  organs  of  this  sense 
are  contained  within  the  skull,  which  forms  no  barrier 
to  its  operation.  This  is  the  highest  form  of  sensibility, 
and  completes  the  octave.  Any  sense  beyond  this 
must  needs  be  the  beginning  of  a  new  organization,  and 
would  be  a  repetition  of  the  sense  of  gender  as  the 
foundation  of  a  new  octave,  precisely  as  musical  tones 
are  repeated  in  the  chromatic  scale.  This  law  applies 
throughout  nature. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  arrangement  of  the  senses 
in  this  order  corresponds  to  the  position  of  the  relative 
arrangement  of  the  organs  of  sense  on  the  body. 

The  olfactory  nerves  enter  the  skull  at  a  point  above 
the  eyes  and  communicate  their  impressions  to  a 
higher  point  of  the  brain  than  the  optic  nerves.  Hence 
although  the  external  orifices  of  the  nostrils  are  below 
the  eyes,  the  real  arrangement  of  the  organs  of  sense 
is  in  the  order  above  stated. 

An  organization  may  be  perfectly  adapted  to  its 
environment  by  growth,  but  if  violently  removed  to  an- 
other situation  it  may  be  very  incompletely  adapted  to 
its  new  environment,  in  which  case  it  will  either  per- 
ish, or  become  slowly  adapted  to  it  by  growth,  possibly 
extending  through  many  generations. 

Experience  teaches  us  that  the  greatest  happiness 
is  secured  by  comprehending  the  nature  of  the  in- 
dividual and  by  placing  him  where  he  can  have  the 


PHRENOLOGY.  409 

most  favorable  environment  for  the  largest  possible 
growl  li. 

Recognizing  the  foregoing  definitions  and  principles, 
the  analysis  of  the  character  of  man  considered  ab- 
stractly, or  the  analysis  of  the  character  of  the  con- 
crete individual,  proceeds  upon  strictly  scientific  lines, 
as  follows:  As  man  is  a  complex  organism,  consisting 
of  bones,  muscles,  respiratory,  digestive,  and  cir- 
culatory organs,  brain  and  nerves,  all  of  which  are  sub- 
ject to  varying  conditions,  the  practical  phrenologist 
in  his  estimate  of  the  character  must  consider  carefully 
(he  Physiological  Condition,  Temperament,  Organic 
Quality,  and  Size  and  Development  of  Brain.  These 
subjects  will  be  considered  in  their  order. 

PHYSIOLOGICAL  CONDITION. 

If  the  individual  is  supplied  with  strong  vital  organs, 
supported  by  an  adequate  frame  of  bone  and  muscle, 
and  these  are  all  in  good  working  order,  he  is  said  to 
be  in  a  condition  of  health.  Under  this  head  the  phre- 
nologist makes  a  careful  note  of  the  conditions  of  gen- 
eral health,  personal  appearance,  breathing  power,  cir- 
culation, and  digestion.  The  eccentricities  of  disease 
arc  carefully  noted  and  allowance  made  therefor  in  the 
estimate  of  mental  power.  The  use  of  tobacco,  alco- 
holic liquors,  narcotics,  tea,  coffee,  or  other  stimulants 
or  poisons,  in  any  degree,  is  incompatible  with  normal 
intelligence.  If  normal  health  exists  and  the  in- 
dividual is  supplied  with  a  good  equipment  in  all  of 


410  PHRENOLOGY. 

the  physiological  conditions  of  organization,  the  founda- 
tion is  established  for  the  display  of  intelligence.  The 
amount  of  intelligence  depends  upon  the  general  mag- 
nitude of  the  organization  and  the  perfect  correlation 
of  its  parts.  The  particular  kind  of  intelligence  mani- 
fested will  be  greatly  modified  by  the  form  of  the  body 
and  brain  as  expressed  in  Temperament,  Organic  Qual- 
ity and  Size  and  Development  of  Brain. 

THE  TEMPERAMENTS. 

Temperament  is  that  peculiar  state  of  the  body,  ex- 
pressed in  color,  temperature,  form,  and  proportion, 
which  results  from  the  preponderance  of  some  element 
in  the  constitution,  over  some  other  element  or  ele- 
ments. The  Temperaments  are  classified  with  refer- 
ence to  electro-magnetic,  anatomical,  and  chemical  con- 
ditions. 

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC  TEMPERAMENTS. 

The  Electric  Temperament  exists  when  electricity 
dominates  over  magnetism  in  the  organization.  Its 
characteristics  are  Gravity,  Receptivity,  Darkness,  and 
Coldness.  This  temperament  was  formerly  called  the 
Bilious  or  Brunette  Temperament.  It  is  dis- 
tinguished by  dark,  hard,  dry  skin,  dark,  strong  hair, 
dark  eyes,  olive  complexion,  and  usually  by  a  long, 
athletic  form  of  body.  It  is  remarkable  for  concentra- 
tiveness  of  design  and  affections,  strong  gravity,  draw- 


PHREXOLOGY.  4U 

ing  power  and  cohesiveness,  strong  will,  resolution, 
dignity,  serious  disposition  and  expression,  moderate 
circulation  and  coolness  of  temperature.  It  is  pro- 
duced by  a  dry,  hot  climate,  common  in  southern  lat- 
itudes and  almost  universal  in  tropical  natives.  Per- 
sons of  this  temperament  are  better  adapted  to  hot 
climates  because  electricity  dominates  over  magnetism, 
and  they  do  not  antagonize  the  climate  by  the  radiation 
of  magnetism, but  rather  thrive  on  the  magnetism  which 
they  absorb.  This  temperament  is  closely  analogous 
to  the  condition  of  tropical  animals  and  birds. 

The  Magnetic  Temperament  exists  when  magnet- 
ism dominates  over  electricity  in  the  organiza- 
tion. Its  characteristics  are  Vibration,  Radia- 
tion, Heat,  and  Light.  This  temperament  was 
formerly  called  the  Sanguine  or  Blonde  Temperament. 
It  is  distinguished  by  a  light  colored,  warm,  moist  skin, 
light  colored  or  red  hair,  fresh  ruddy  or  florid  complex- 
ion, light  colored  or  blue  eyes,  rounded  form  of  body, 
often  plump  or  corpulent,  large  chest,  square  shoulders, 
indicating  a  very  active  heart  and  vital  organs.  It 
is  remarkable  for  versatility  of  character,  jovial  dis- 
position, fond  of  good  living  and  great  variety,  change- 
ableness,  activity,  and  vivaciousness.  The  temperature 
of  the  body  is  warm  and  the  circulation  very  strong. 
This  temperament  vibrates  between  great  extremes  of 
disposition,  develops  great,  force  of  radiation  and  driv- 
ing power,  and  is  universally  characterized  by  warmth, 
enthusiasm,  and  high  color.  It  is  produced  by  the 
climates  of  northern  and  temperate  latitudes,  and  is  al- 


412  PHRENOLOGY. 

most  universal  in  the  natives  of  extreme  northern  coun- 
tries. Persons  of  this  temperament  are  better  adapted 
to  cold  climates,  because  magnetism  dominates  over 
electricity,  consequently  they  produce  more  animal 
heat,  and  are  better  able  to  endure  the  rigors  of  a  cold 
climate.  The  same  general  conditions  are  found  to  ex- 
ist in  birds  and  animals  inhabiting  northern  latitudes. 

ANATOMICAL  TEMPERAMENTS. 

The  Temperaments  are  also  classed  anatomically  as: 

Motive,  where  the  bones  are  large  and  strong  and 
the  muscular  development  is  stronger  than  the  nutri- 
tive or  mental  system.  Persons  of  this  temperament  arc 
active,  energetic,  and  best  adapted  to  outdoor  pursuits 
and  vigorous  employment. 

Vital,  in  which  the  nutritive  or  vital  system  is  most 
active,  large  lungs,  stomach  and  blood  vessels,  and 
corpulent  and  plump  figure.  Persons  possessing  this 
temperament  are  inclined  to  sedentary  occupations, 
and  if  the  brain  is  large  and  of  good  quality,  are  able 
to  do  an  immense  amount  of  mental  labor  without 
breaking  down.  They  should  take  systematic  exercise 
and  avoid  fats  and  stimulating  foods  and  drinks  to  ob- 
tain the  best  results. 

Mental,  in  which  the  brain  and  nerves  are  most 
active.  The  body  is  not  adapted  to  hard  muscular 
labor,  and  there  is  not  enough  vitality  or  nutritive 
power  to  nourish  the  brain  in  the  heavy  demands  made 
upon  it.     Such  persons  incline  to  mental  effort  and 


PHRENOLOGY.  4!  3 

literary  work,  and  for  a  time  display  greal  brilliancy, 
but  sooner  or  later  collapse,  unless  this  condition  is 
corrected,  by  regular  hours,  plenty  of  sleep,  the  absence 

of  stimulants  and  the  cultivation  of  muscular  and  vital 
force.  This  temperament  is  distinguished  by  a  rela- 
tively large  head  and  small  body,  pyriform  face,  high 
wide  forehead,  and  usually  sharp  features. 

CHEMICAL  TEMPERAMENTS. 

There  are  three  principal  fluids  which  circulate 
through  the  body,  viz.,  arterial  blood,  venous  blood,  and 
lymph.  As  the  blood  passes  out  from  the  heart 
through  the  arteries  it  is  strongly  charged  with 
magnetism  and  is  very  strongly  acid  in  quality. 
As  it  returns  to  the  heart  through  the  veins 
it  has  expended  its  magnetism  and  its  acid- 
ity has  been  very  much  neutralized.  The  lymph 
is  an  alkali  fluid,  and  it  circulates  through  the 
lymphatic  vessels  as  a  reserve  force  of  vital  food.  The 
predominance  of  either  of  these  fluids  in  the  constitu- 
tion greatly  modifies  the  character  and  gives  rise  to 
the  classification  of  the  chemical  temperaments.  As 
every  cell  in  the  body  comes  in  contact  with  an  acid  and 
an  alkali  fluid,  we  may,  by  estimating  the  relative  quan- 
tities of  each  fluid,  arrive  at  a  very  accurate  judgment 
of  the  chemical  condition  of  the  body,  and  these  ele- 
ments are  also  valuable  in  estimating  the  amount  of 
magnetism  that  will  be  produced  by  the  organization 
through  chemical  action,  as  every  cell  by  its  contact 
with  these  fluids  is  constituted  a  magnetic  battery. 


414 


PHRENOLOGY. 


THE   ACID   TEMPERAMENT. 


The  Acid  Temperament  exists  where  arterial  blood 
predominates.  It  is  distinguished  by  convexity  of 
features  and  sharpness  of  angles.  The  face  is  usually 
round  in  general  outline  and  convex  in  profile,  the  fore- 
head prominent  at  the  eyebrows  and  retreating  as  it 
rises,  the  nose  Roman,  the  mouth  prominent,  the  teeth 
convex  in  form  and  arrangement  and  sharp,  the  chin 
round  and  sometimes  retreating.  The  body  is  angular 
and  generally  convex  in  outline,  with  sharpness  at  all 
angles.  This  temperament  is  usually  accompanied 
with  great  activity  of  mind  and  vivaciousness  of  dis- 
position, and  sometimes  develops  great  energy  and 
asperity.  It  is  very  likely  to  exhaust  itself  prema- 
turely. 


PHRENOLOGY. 


415 


THE   ALKALI  TEMPERAMENT. 


The  Alkali  Temperament  exists  where  lymph  is  in 
excess  over  arterial  blood.  It  is  distinguished  by  con- 
cavity of  features  and  obliquity  of  angles,  or  rather  the 
absence  of  angles.  The  face  is  usually  broad  in  gen- 
eral outline,  and  concave  in  profile,  the  forehead  prom- 
inent and  wide  at  the  upper  part,  and  medium  in  de- 
velopment at  the  eyebrows,  the  nose  concave,  the 
mouth  retreating,  the  teeth  flat  in  form  and  arrange- 
ment, the  chin  concave  and  prominent  at  the  point. 
The  body  is  round  and  inclined  to  corpulency,  without 
angles.  This  temperament  is  usually  well  stocked  with 
vitality,  but  unless  actively  employed  is  likely  to  be- 
come  dull  and  overloaded  with  adipose  tissue  and 
lymph. 


416  PHRENOLOGY. 

From  the  foregoing  observations  it  is  evident  that 
the  temperaments  combine  in  each  individual  accord- 
ing to  whichever  temperament  is  found  to  predominate 
in  these  three  divisions.  Thus  one  man  will  have  an 
electric-motive-acid  temperament,  another  a  magnetic- 
mental-acid  temperament,  another  a  niagnetic-vital- 
alkali,  and  so  on  through  all  the  combinations  which 
can  be  made  from  the  seven  elementary  temperaments. 
This  blending  when  finally  estimated  constitutes  the 
temperament  of  the  individual.  The  ideal  condition 
would,  of  course,  be  a  perfect  equilibrium  of  the  ele- 
ments of  each  division,  in  which  case  the  individual 
would  be  said  to  have  a  perfectly  balanced  tempera- 
ment. 

III.    ORGANIC  QUALITY. 

Organic  Quality  is  the  inherent,  constitutional  tex- 
ture of  the  organization.  It  is  analogous  to  the  grain 
of  wood,  the  temper  of  mental,  etc.,  and  is  considered 
with  reference  to  the  attributes  of  Strength,  Delicacy, 
and  Responsiveness. 

Strength  signifies  great  capacity  to  undertake  and 
successfully  complete  enterprises  of  great  magnitude, 
requiring  comprehensive  thought  and  executive  power. 
It  also  signifies  great  power  of  endurance  and  fortitude. 
When  strength  is  marked  low,  on  the  phrenological 
chart,  the  individual  has  no  surplus  strength  to  waste 
and  should  carefully  enconomize  force  and  direct  his 
power  within  the  scope  of  his  phrenological  adaptation. 


PHRENOLOGY.  417 

Delicacy  indicates  great  refinement  and  sensitive- 
ness of  organization.  Such  persons  are  able  to  ap- 
preciate nice  shades  of  thought  and  to  cultivate  the 
graces  in  an  eminent  degree.  They  are  adapted  to 
pursuits  requiring  delicacy  of  the  senses  and  acute 
perception,  such  as  music,  painting,  manufacturing  of 
delicate  articles,  etc.  In  literature  they  display  re- 
fined taste,  and  the  head  is  symmetrical  and  generally 
well  developed.  Those  who  are  low  in  delicacy  lack 
refinement  and  grace  and  should  carefully  cultivate 
these  qualities. 

Responsiveness  signifies  that  peculiar  quality  of  or- 
ganization which  takes  impressions  readily  and  re- 
sponds quickly  to  outside  influences.  It  implies  abil- 
ity to  learn  readily  and  to  adopt  one's  self  to  circum- 
stances. Persons  high  in  this  quality  are  easily 
elated  and  correspondingly  depressed,  and  should  culti- 
vate self-control.  Persons  low  in  responsiveness  in- 
cline toward  stupidity. 

SIZE  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  BRAIN. 

The  Physiological  Condition,  Temperament  and 
Quality  of  the  individual  being  established,  the  size  of 
his  brain  becomes  the  measure  of  power.  Concerning 
the  brain,  the  doctrines  of  Phrenology  may  be  briefly 
stated. 

I.  The  brain  is  the  keyboard  of  Intelligence.  The 
Intelligence  of  man  manifests  itself  through  many  fac- 
ulties, and  each  faculty  is  a  result  of  some  condition 

27 


418  PHRENOLOGY. 

pertaining  to  his  environment.     Each  faculty  has  a 
special  organ  in  the  brain. 

II.  Size  of  brain  is  the  measure  of  power,  tempera- 
ment, quality  and  physiological  condition  being  similar. 
Size  of  brain  depends  upon  length  of  brain  fiber.  The 
brains  of  different  individuals  vary  much  in  size  and 
also  in  the  direction  of  development,  from  which  fact 
diversity  of  character  arises,  in  brains  of  the  same  size 
and  quality. 

III.  Forty-three  organs  of  the  brain,  by  careful  ob- 
servation and  comparison,  have  been  located  and 
classified.  The  brain  is  divided  into  two  hemispheres, 
and  one  organ  pertaining  to  each  faculty  of  the  mind 
located  in  each  hemisphere.  Thus  all  organs  are  double, 
and  there  is  one  organ  of  each  pair  on  each  side  of  the 
head.  The  Phrenologist  estimates  the  size  of  each  or- 
gan by  measuring  the  length  of  brain  fiber  from  the 
surface  of  the  brain  to  the  Medulla  Oblongata,  which  is 
at  the  base  of  the  brain,  at  the  head  of  the  spinal  col- 
umn and  opposite  the  opening  of  the  ears. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that  there  are  sixty-four 
organs  altogether,  and  that  when  ajl  are  discovered 
and  classified  that  man  will  be  found  to  possess  sixty- 
four  distinct  faculties  and  be  capable  of  acquiring 
sixty-four  different  kinds  of  knowledge  and  manifest- 
ing sixty-four  kinds  of  intelligence.  This  is  not  stated 
as  a  demonstrated  fact,  but  as  a  proposition  believed 
to  be  true. 

The  following  are  the  names  and  definitions  of  the 
faculties  of  Intelligence  that  are  known  to  be  possessed 


PHRENOLOGY.  419 

by  man.  For  the  location  of  the  corresponding  organs 
on  the  cranium  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  accom- 
panying Symbolical  Phrenological  Head.  On  this  head 
the  faculties  are  symbolized  by  a  picture  engraved 
within  the  territory  ascribed  to  each  organ  represent- 
ing some  action  of  the  corresponding  faculty.  Thus 
Constructiveness  is  represented  by  a  suspension  bridge, 
Combativeness  by  a  fire  scene  in  which  the  splendid 
energies  of  the  firemen  and  the  apparatus  are  opposed 
to  the  destructive  element,  etc. 

For  convenience  in  classification  the  organs  are  ar- 
ranged in  the  six  groups  of  Physical  Love,  Physical 
Energy,  Dignity,  Sympathy,  Objective  Intellect,  and 
Subjective  Intellect,  but  these  divisions  are  purely  ar- 
bitrary. 

Each  of  the  faculties  of  Intelligence  is  capable  of 
manifesting  four  distinct  powers,  Attraction,  Repul- 
sion, Satisfaction,  and  Memory,  depending  upon  cor- 
responding electro-magnetic  states  of  the  atoms  com- 
posing the  organ  of  the  brain  representing  that  faculty. 

When  electricity  dominates  the  atoms  cohere,  the 
brain  cells  become  empty  and  Attraction  results. 

When  magnetism  dominates,  the  atoms  repel,  the 
cells  become  filled  with  magnetism  and  Repulsion  re- 
sults. 

When  electro-inagnetic  equilibrium  is  established, 
the  faculty  is  said  to  be  in  a  state  of  Satisfaction,  and 
the  organ  is  at  rest. 

The  ability  to  rearrange  the  atoms  and  to  repeat 
formerly  existing  states,  constitutes  Memory. 


420 


PHRENOLOGY. 


PROF.  Wm.  WINDSOR, 
LL.B.,  Ph.  D. 

The  Symbolical  Phrenological  Head,  Showing  the  Location  of  the  Organs 

of  the  Brain. 


PHRENOLOGY.  421 

From  the  foregoing,  we  deduce  the  propositions  that 
Love  (Attraction),  Hate  (Repulsion),  Enjoyment  (Satis- 
faction), and  Recollection  (Memory)  are  each  the  prod- 
uct of  the  combined  action  of  the  powers  of  all  the  or- 
gans of  the  brain,  and  the  force  resulting  from  this 
combination  which  ultimately  governs  the  action  of  the 
individual  is  called  Reason. 

Therefore,  to  constitute  an  individual  perfectly  Rea- 
sonable, he  must  have  a  complete  cognition  of  his  en- 
vironment by  the  possession  of  a  complete  equipment 
of  the  organs  of  sense,  and  a  complete  brain,  educated 
to  the  full  use  of  every  faculty.  Every  organ  of  the 
brain  and  every  corresponding  faculty  is  equally  valu- 
able, and  none  can  be  neglected  in  development  or 
education  without  an  equally  serious  loss.  The  ideal 
state  of  complete  development  and  complete  education 
is  attainable  and  will  be  reached  by  the  human  race 
whenever  this  philosophy  is  accepted  and  enforced. 


422 


PHRENOLOGY. 


GROUPS  OF  ORGANS. 


DEFINITIONS   OF  THE  FACULTIES 
OF  INTELLIGENCE. 


PHYSICAL  LOVE. 

Amativcncss — Reproductive  love;  love  of  the  opposite 
sex,  and  desire  to  unite  in  sexual  relations  and  enjoy 
its  company. 

Conjugality — Conjugal  love,  sexual  friendship  and 
fidelity. 

Pliiloprogcnitivcncss — Parental  love;  love  of  offspring 
and  pets. 

Friendship — Adhesiveness;  gregariousness;  love  of 
family;  desire  for  companionship;  attachment  to 
friends. 


PHRENOLOGY.  433 

fiiJiabiti rates* — Love  of  home,  place  of  abode;  love 
of  country  and  offensive  and  defensive  patriotism. 

Continuity — The  faculty  of  connection.  The  ability 
to  comprehend  continuousness  or  interruption;  to  give 
undivided  and  continued  attention  to  one  subject,  or 
to  interrupt  intelligently;  application,  connectedness. 

PHYSICAL  ENERGY. 

Vitativeness — The  love  of  life;  desire  to  exist. 

Combativencss — Defense;  courage;  defiance;  force  of 
character;    energy  and  indignation. 

Executw&ms— Executive  ability ;  extermination ; 
thoroughness  and  severity. 

AUmentiveness — Desire  for  food  and  drink;  faculty  of 
discriminating  taste. 

Acquisitiveness — Desire  for  property;  industry;  econ- 
omy in  acquiring  property;  realization  of  value 

Secretwene88 — Reserve;  concealment;  policy;  con- 
servatism. 

Ca ution— Prudence;  solicitude;  timidity;  fear;  ap- 
prehension of  danger. 

DIGNITY. 

ApiJivbativdncss — Love  of  display;  the  desire  to 
please;  ambition  to  gain  admiration  and  popularity. 

Self -Esteem — Dignity ;  governing  power ;  independ- 
ence; self  love. 

Firmness — Stability;  perseverance;  decision;  inflex- 
ibility of  purpose. 


434  PHRENOLOGY. 

Conscientiousness — Justice;  self-examination;  integ- 
rity; circumspection;  scrupulousness  in  matters  of 
duty. 

SYMPATHY. 

Hope — Belief  in  future  joy;  tendency  to  high  ex- 
pectations. 

Faith — Trust  and  belief.    Confidence. 

Veneration — Reverence  and  worship;  deference  for 
superiors,  and  submission  to  superior  power. 

Benevolence — The  desire  to  do  good;  sympathy;  phi- 
lanthropy. 

Imitation — The  copying  faculty.  The  ability  to  con- 
form to  existing  customs,  conditions  and  facts  by  im- 
itating them. 

Human  Nature — The  power  to  discern  motives,  char- 
acter and  qualities  in  other  persons  by  sympathetic  ac- 
tion. 

Suavity — Agreeableness;  tendency  to  speak  and  act 
in  a  pleasant  manner. 

OBJECTIVE  INTELLECT. 

Individuality — Observation  and  desire  to  see  things, 
to  identify  and  separate  objects. 

Form — Observation  of  the  shape  of  things.  Sensi- 
tiveness to  correctness  or  the  lack  of  it  in  shapes. 

Size — Power  to  measure  distances,  quantities  and 
sizes. 

Weight — Perception  of  the  effect  of  gravity,  and 
sense  of  the  perpendicular. 


PHRENOLOGY.  425 

Color — The  discrimination  of  lines  and  colors. 

Order — Faculty  of  arrangement;  method;  system; 
neatness. 

Calculation — The  power  to  count,  enumerate,  reckon, 
etc.;  faculty  of  number. 

Motion — Ability  to  comprehend  movement.  Love  of 
motion,  sailing,  navigation,  riding,  dancing,  etc. 

Eventuality — The  historic  faculty;  faculty  of  experi- 
ence and  occurrence. 

Locality — Discernment  of  position,  perception  of 
place. 

Time — Consciousness  of  duration;  faculty  of  time; 
promptness. 

Tune — Appreciation  of  sound;  ability  to  distinguish 
musical  tones. 

Construetireness — Dexterity  and  ingenuity;  ability  in 
construction;  faculty  of  adjustment. 

Language — Power  of  expression  and  ability  to  talk; 
verbal  expression;  vocabulary. 

SUBJECTIVE  INTELLECT. 

Causality— The  ability  to  comprehend  principles,  and 
to  think  abstractly ;  to  understand  the  relation  between 
cause  and  effect. 

Comparison— The  analyzing,  illustrating  and  com- 
paring faculty. 

Ideality— Love  of  the  beautiful;  desire  for  perfection, 

refinement. 

Sublimity— Love  of  grandeur  and  the  stupendous; 
appreciation  of  the  terrific. 

Mirthf ulness— Wit;  humor;  love  of  fun. 


426  PHRENOLOGY. 


The  Phrenological  Examination. 

The  Phrenological  Examination  is  designed  to  show 
in  an  accurate  and  scientific  manner  the  size  and  de- 
velopment of  Brain  of  the  person  measured,  and  to 
furnish  a  basis  upon  which  an  accurate  and  reliable 
knowledge  of  the  character  may  be  determined.  The 
measurements  can  only  be  correctly  made  by  an  ex- 
pert familiar  with  the  principles  of  Phrenology.  When 
these  measurements  are  determined  according  to  the 
system,  the  Phrenologist  is  enabled  to  make  a  Com- 
plete Delineation  of  the  character,  describing  the 
amount  and  kind  of  sense  possessed  by  the  individual, 
his  adaptation  to  a  particular  Business,  Trade  or  Pro- 
fession, where  that  kind  and  amount  of  Intelligence  is 
required,  the  adaptation  in  Matrimony  or  Business 
Partnership,  together  with  special  directions  as  to  faults 
and  how  to  correct  them,  health  and  longevity  and  how 
to  secure  both.  The  expert  must  be  able  to  judge  the 
Physiological  Condition,  Temperament  and  Organic 
Quality  of  the  individual  with  scientific  accuracy,  and 
these  are  important  elements  in  a  scientific  delineation 
of  character. 

Phrenological  Examinations  are  said  to  be  given 
orally  when  no  record  is  made  of  the  conclusions  of  the 
examiner.  A  Phrenological  Chart  is  a  blank  prepared 
for  concise  written  statements,  and  the  chart  filled  out 
is  said  to  constitute  a  Delineation  of  Character. 


PHRENOLOGY. 


427 


PROF.    WINDSOR'S    ASSISTANTS    MAKING    A    PHRENOMETRICAL    SURVEY. 


Phrenometrical  Measurements  are  given  by  means  of 
1lu>  Phroiomctcr,  an  instrument  used  for  measuring  the 
head,  by  which  the  exact  form  and  size  of  sections  of 
the  head  can  be  reproduced  upon  diagrams  prepared  for 
the  purpose.  This  is  the  most  valuable  and  reliable 
way  of  making  an  examination. 


428  PHRENOLOGY. 

A  Phrenograph  is  a  written  description  of  the  char- 
acter of  an  individual,  giving  all  the  minute  points  and 
shadings  of  character  in  the  language  of  the  examiner, 
and  its  value  depends  upon  the  perspicuity  and  literary 
expression  of  the  writer  not  less  than  upon  his  skill  as 
a  phrenologist. 

It  must  be  evident  from  the  foregoing  that  the  value 
of  the  service  rendered  by  the  phrenologist  varies,  as  in 
all  other  professions,  according  to  his  education  and 
training,  the  instruments  with  which  he  works,  the 
elaborateness  of  the  product  and  the  adaptation  of  the 
phrenologist  to  his  own  business. 

The  public  should  be  warned  against  patronizing 
men  who  practice  Phrenology  in  a  way  that  would 
bring  any  business  into  ridicule.  Men  who  are  uned- 
ucated, who  do  not  use  the  latest  and  best  equipments, 
who  have  never  had  any  professional  training,  who  do 
not  comprehend  professional  ethics  or  dignity,  and  who 
do  not  possess  the  elements  of  success  in  their  own 
characters,  are  hardly  the  ones  to  whom  an  intelligent 
man  would  submit  the  most  important  questions  con- 
cerning his  own  welfare  with  the  hope  of  receiving 
competent  advice.  But  Phrenology  has  been  cursed 
with  this  class  of  quacks,  perhaps  even  more  than  the 
profession  of  medicine.  And  it  is  largely  due  to  the 
stupendous  blunders  of  such  pretenders  that  Phre- 
nology is  not  recognized  more  generally  by  intelligent 
scientists.  Considered  in  its  beauty  and  simplicity,  it 
certainly  offers  a  more  rational  and  practical  system  of 
mental  philosophy  than  has  ever  been  otherwise  formu- 
lated. 


PHRENOLOGY. 


429 


EXAMPLES  OF  PHRENOMETRICAL  MEASUREMENTS. 

Fig.  2. 


-ID 


COMBATIVE. 


NON-COMBATIVE. 


Sections  of  base  of  brain,  showing  development  of  physical  energy 
The  dotted  lines  in  P^ig.  2  show  the  deiiciency  in  alimentiveness,  execu- 
tiveness  and  combativeness. 


Fig.  3. 


Fig.  4. 


NON-SYMPATHETIC. 


SYMPATHETIC. 


Profile  sections  showing  development  of  sympathy  and  dignity.    The 
dotted  line  in  Fig.  3  shows  deficiency  in  Human  Nature  and  Benevolence. 


Fig    6. 


Fig. 


MODERATE  CAPACITY. 


liHKAT    CAPACITY. 


Two  sections  of  the  region  of  subjective  Intellect,  showing  different 
capacities  of  two  individuals. 


ADVERTISEMENTS, 


THE  WINDSOR  &  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  CO., 

406    MARIA    AVE.,    ST.    PAUL,    MINN., 

Are  the  exclusive  publishers  of  all  of  Professor  Windsor's 
works  on  Phrenology  and  Social  Science,  and  are  the  business 
managers  of 

THE    INTERNATIONAL.    COLLEGE    OP    SCIENCE. 

All  correspondence  in  relation  to  books  and  publications, 
tuition  and  courses  of  study  in  the  college,  payments  for  books 
or  tuition  should  be  addressed  to 

THE  WINDSOR  &  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  CO., 
406  Maria  Ave.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Professor  Windsor's  personal  correspondence,  and  letters 
containing  photographs  for  examination  or  requests  for  scien- 
tific information,  and  all  private  correspondence  of  his  patrons 
concerning  matters  of  a  confidential  nature  should  be  ad- 
dressed as  follows: 

PROP.  WILLIAM  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  PH.  D., 
Care  The  Windsor  &  Lewis  Publishing  Co., 
406  Maria  Ave.,  St.  Paul,  Minn, 
and  marked  "personal." 

In  sending  remittances,  please  send  postoffice  or  express 
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It  is>  our  purpose  to  carry  a  full  line  of  equipments  for  lec- 
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Fraternally, 
-^THE  WINDSOR  &  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  CO. 

itdberl,  1899ft,  « 

0.  Drawer  163, 
Chicago,  Ills, 


THE  SCIENCE   OF  CREftTION 

AND- 

ftRT  OF  REPRODUCTION. 

A  beautiful  volume  of  four  hundred  pages,  devoted  to  the 
clear  exposition  of  facts  relating  to  the  propagation  and  im- 
provement of  the  race.  The  first  edition  of  this  fascinating 
book  was  sold  at  five  dollars  in  cloth  and  six  dollars  in  Russia 
binding. 

E7  $  250-    Now  Reduced  to  HALF  TRICE.    $2-50.  xa 

The  second  edition  has  been  revised  and  corrected,  and  will 
be  issued  in  cloth  binding  only  and  sold  at  half  the  original 
price,  viz.,  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 

SUBJECTS  DISCUSSED  IN  SEPARATE  CHAPTERS. 

Introduction.  I.— General  Anatomy  and  Physiology.  II.— 
Sexual  Anatomy  and  Physiology.  III.— Manhood  and  Woman- 
hood. IV.— Manhood  not  Lost.  V— Manhood  Restored.  VI.— 
The  Education  of  the  Sexual  Instincts.  VII.— Marriage.  VIII. 
—Sexual  Magnetism.  IX.— Prostitution.  X. — The  Selection  of 
the  Consort.  XI.— Copulation.  XII.— Mistakes  of  Married 
Men.  XIII.— Reproduction.  XIV.— Maternity.  XV.— Con- 
clusion. 

This  book  discusses  the  foregonig  subjects  in  a  fearless  and 
candid  manner,  giving  the  information  desired  in  a  complete 
and  clear  way,  instead  of  darkly  hinting  at  the  topics. 

It  is  also  true  that  Professor  Windsor  teaches  the  doctrine 
that  the  functions  of  the  body  in  all  of  its  departments  should 
be  enjoyed  in  a  legitimate  and  pure  manner,  instead  of  being 
suppressed  and  paralyzed,  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  teach- 
ings of  a  majority  of  writers  on  this  subject  were  followed.  It 
is  the  aim  of  the  book  to  teach  what  a  legitimate  and  pure 
enjoyment  is.  Like  all  of  his  writings,  it  is  radical,  revolution- 
ary and  independent. 

It  is  fust  the  book  which  every  young  man  and  woman 
should  read  who  is  anxious  to  obtain  the  best  use  of  all  the 
powers  of  mind  and  body,  and  who  wishes  to  enter  the  rela- 
tionship of  marriage  well  informed  as  to  the  duties,  rights, 
privileges  and  enjoyments  of  a  husband  and  wife. 

It  is  the  very  book  which  every  intelligent  parent  has  been 
looking  for,  to  have  his  children  read  in  order  that  they  may 
be  instructed  against  the  vices,  and  encouraged  to  secure  the 
highest  possible  development. 

It  is  time  that  men  and  women  understood  themselves  and 
each  other.  Professor  Windsor  has  had  the  courage  and  in- 
telligence to  write  and  utter  what  should  have  been  said  long 
ago.  He  believes  in  the  dignity  of  manhood,  the  sacredness 
of  womanhood,  the  protection  of  childhood. 

(3) 


L0MA, 

A  CITIZEN  OF  VENUS. 

The   Most    Sensalional  Book    Ever  Published  in  the  English 
Language. 

A  scathing  criticism  on  the  civilization  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  by  a  philosopher  who  understands  Human  Nature,  its 
capabilities,  its  needs  and  its  wrongs. 

The  plot  of  this  remarkable  book  is  as  follows:  Myrtle 
Burnham,  a  beautiful  and  talented  young  girl,  living  with  a 
wealthy  uncle  in  Chicago,  meets  Avith  misfortunes  by  which 
she  is  disgraced  in  the  eyes  of  her  uncle  and  aunt  and  is  by 
them  turned  upon  the  street.  After  three  days  and  nights  of 
privation  and  hardship,  she  attempts  suicide  in  Lake  Michigan. 
She  is  rescued  by  a  remarkable  personage,  who  appears  in  the 
water  at  the  critical  moment,  and  upon  the  pier  she  and  her 
rescuer  meet  a  physician,  who  is  also  a  philanthropist,  who 
mercifully  takes  her  to  his  home  and  provides  for  her  com- 
fort, and  who  also  entertains  her  rescuer  in  a  very  hospit- 
able manner.  The  latter  introduces  himself  as  Loma,  a  citizen 
of  Venus,  who  has  been  sent  to  the  earth  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  impressing  Myrtle,  and  through  her,  her  offspring,  with 
the  germs  of  new  thought,  representing  an  advanced  civiliza- 
tion which  her  son  is  destined  to  proclaim  to  the  world.  The 
physician  enters  heartily  into  the  scheme,  and  the  remaining 
chapters  of  the  book  tell  how  Loma  accomplished  his  mission. 
The  work  is  pathetic,  romantic,  revolutionary  and  startling, 
and  there  is  a  sensation  in  every  chapter.  The  denouement  is 
sublime. 

Incidentally,  Loma  makes  the  following  remarkable  scien- 
tific disclosures:  That  the  wearing  of  clothing  is  a  mistake, 
and  productive  of  disease.  That  physical  astronomy  as  now 
taught  is  radically  wrong  in  its  principles  and  statements. 
That  Sir  Isaac  Newton's  theory  of  the  law  of  gravitation  is  a 
mistake.  That  matter  does  not  attract  matter,  and  that  the 
sun  does  not  radiate  light  or  heat. 

Loma's  views  on  the  prevailing  vices,  inconsistencies  and 
absurdities  of  modern  civilization  are  expressed  in  Professor 
Windsor's  masterful  literary  style,  and  the  utterances  are 
characterized  by  the  same  fearlessness  and  freedom  of  expres- 
sion which  are  such  marked  peculiarities  of  his  lectures,  ad- 
dresses and  other  published  works. 

This  extraordinary  book  consists  of  about  five  hundred 
pages,  handsomely  printed  and  bound  in  silk  cloth,  with  gold 
«tle.  Price,  $1.50. 

(4) 


Do  You  Wish  to  Understand 

Yourself  and  Everbodv  Else?    How  to  Become  Rich? 
How  to  Select  a  Wife?    How  to  Become  Comfort- 
able, Happy  and  Prosperous?    If  you  do  you 
should  purchase  and  read 

Phrenology!  Choice  of  Professions;  Matrimony, 

A  handsome  little  volume  of  200  pages,  containing  the  full 
text  of  Professor  Windsor's  three  most  popular  lectures  as  de- 
livered by  him  to  overwhelming  audiences  throughout  the 
United  States. 

In  addition  to  the  three  lectures  the  hook  contains  a  nun> 
ber  of  interviews  in  which  Professor  Windsor  describes  phre- 
nologieally  the  mental  characteristics  of  many  prominent 
statesmen,  philanthropists  and  criminals,  in  which  startling 
contrasts  and  sensational  facts  are  developed.  Elegantly  illus- 
trated, with  portraits  of  noted  characters.  Professor  Windsor 
is  acknowledged  to  he  the  highest  living  authority  on  the  sub- 
ject of  which  he  treats.  The  entire  book  is  Scientific,  Witty, 
instructive  and  Absorbingly  Interesting.  Price.,  in  cloth,  $1.00. 
Price,  in  paper,  50  cents. 

HEALTH,  WEALTH,  AMD  SUNSHIME, 

—  OB  THE  — 

SECRET  OF  A  GOOD  DIGESTION. 

This  valuable  little  pamphlet  is  one  of  Professor  Windsor's 
greatest  contributions  to  the  relief  of  suffering  humanity.  It 
contains  full  instructions  in  regard  to  the  Philosophy  of  Diges- 
tion, the  causes  of  Indigestion  and  Constipation,  the  correct 
bill  of  fare  for  Proper  Diet  for  each  Temperament,  and  in- 
structions for  the  radical  cure  of  Indigestion  and  Chronic  Con- 
stipation, without  medicine  or  expense,  enabling  anyone  to 
regulate  the  bowels  perfectly  without  the  use  of  poisonous 
cathartics.  PRICE,  $1.00.  Sold  only  as  a  confidential  com- 
munication and  upon  promise  by  the  purchaser  that  its  in- 
structions will  be  confined  to  the  members  of  the  purchaser's 
own  familv. 

NERVOUSNESS. 

Its  Cause  and  Cure.    How  to  Banish  the  Blues. 

A  valuable  pamphlet  by  Professor  Windsor,  giving  direc- 
tions by  which  three-fourths  of  all  cases  of  nervousness  may 
be  cured  without,  medicine.  The  cure  of  Insomnia,  with  valu- 
able instruction  for  inducing  dreamless  sleep.  Also,  sugges- 
tions for  obtaining  rest  without  sleep  when  time  is  limited. 
Invaluable  for  overworked  business  men  and  nervous  women. 
Price,  50  cents. 

(5) 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 

In  1888  Professor  Windsor  published  the  first  edition  of 
What  was  then  called  his  GREAT  SEXUAL  SECRETS,  con- 
sisting of  four  small  pamphlets,  the  largest  of  which  con- 
tained eight  pages.  They  were  sold  as  confidential  communi- 
cations from  a  teacher  to  his  pupils  and  were  never  intended 
for  general  sale.  The  first  was  a  treatise  on  Pregnancy,  con- 
taining some  valuable  facts  which  every  prospective  wife 
and  mother  should  know;  the  second  was  a  brief  instruction 
on  the  restoration  of  sexual  vigor  by  hygienic  treatment;  the 
third  gave  valuable  sanitary  advice  designed  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  contagious  venereal  disease;  and  the  fourth  and 
largest  of  the  series  was  a  plain  and  chaste  direction  as  to 
the  proper  method  of  performing  the  act  of  copulation. 

The  sale  of  these  pamphlets  was  remarkably  large,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  they  were  sold  at  ten  dollars  apiece 
for  Nos.  3,  4  and  5,  and  fifteen  dollars  for  No.  1.  The  entire 
series  was  sold  for  fifty  dollars,  including  a  phrenological 
chart,  which  was  at  that  time  issued  for  ten  dollars. 

A  second  and  enlarged  edition  was  published  in  1891, 
which  has  just  been  exhausted.  The  great  favor  with  which 
these  works  have  been  received  results  from  their  brevity 

and   TRUTHFULNESS. 

Most  writers  in  treating  such  subjects  would  have  buried 
the  information  beneath  a  mass  of  verbiage.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  books  upon  the  market  treating  of  these  subjects, 
but  the  reader  turns  from  most  of  them  with  a  sense  of  dis- 
gust because  so  much  has  been  written  and  so  little  has  been 
said. 

Professor  Windsor  has  had  the  good  judgment  and  the 
courage  to  write  the  truth.  He  has  realized  that  the  average 
man  wants  facts  and  not  arguments  on  propositions  of  ques- 
tionable value.  Hundreds  of  men  have  remarked,  after  hear- 
ing Professor  Windsor  lecture  on  these  topics,  that  in  some 
way  he  had  come  into  possession  of  a  vast  amount  of  truth 
upon  subjects  upon  which  there  is  general  and  much  to  be 
deplored  ignorance. 

The  third  edition  of  these  valuable  pamphlets  is  now  ready. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  since  the  last  edition  was  published, 
Professor  Windsor  has  made  extraordinary  new  and  startling 
discoveries,  it  has  been  necessary  to  rewrite  the  whole  series. 

(6) 


While  all  that  was  valuable  in  the  old  editions  has  been  care- 
fully preserved,  yet  the  pamphlets  as  now  issued  are  prac- 
tically new  works,  entirely  rewritten,  up  to  date,  and  contain 
about  four  times  as  much  information  as  the  last  edition.  For 
this  reason  it  has  been  thought  best  to  give  the  new  series  a 
new  and  more  attractive  title.    Pi-ofessor  Windsor's 

GREAT  SECRETS  OF  HAPPINESS. 

are  now  absolutely  indispensable  to  the  happiness  of  every 
man  and  woman  in  the  world.  In  fact  it  may  be  safely  said 
that  without  the  information  contained  in  Nos.  1  and  4  it  is 
impossible  to  be  happy  in  the  marriage  relation.  The  informa- 
tion contained  in  Nos.  2  and  3  is  vitally  important  to  every 
young  man  contemplating  matrimony,  and  it  is  hardly  safe  for 
any  young  woman  to  entertain  the  proposition  of  marriage 
without  the  same  information,  while  No.  5  is  indispensable  to 
every  sane  man  or  woman  who  wishes  to  preserve  the  happi- 
ness of  married  life.  This  pamphlet  is  a  new  and  valuable 
addition  to  the  series. 

The  world  is  full  of  blasted  homes,  broken  hearts,  and 
wrecked  constitutions  caused  by  ignorance  of  the  facts  set 
forth  in  these  pamphlets.  The  prisons  are  full  of  criminals 
and  the  insane  asylums  are  crowded,  because  men  and  women 
do  not  understand  the  true  laws  of  parentage.  Idiots,  paupers 
and  cripples  on  every  hand,  tell  the  sad  story  of  parental 
ignorance.  Nor  is  this  the  worst  side  of  the  question.  Thou- 
sands of  good  and  true  men  and  women  are  yearly  infected 
with  the  most  loathsome  and  contagious  diseases  because  the 
truth  is  not  known  in  respect  to  these  unhappy  subjects. 
There  is  a  maudlin  sentiment  extant  which  deprecates  any 
effort  to  impart  information  on  these  topics.  These  sickly 
moralists  seem  to  think  that  it  is  a  lofty  work  to  protect  a 
community  from  smallpox  white  it  is  a  moral  obliquity  to  sug- 
gest sanitary  precautions  against,  a  much  more  terrible  form 
of  disease.  Both  diseases  result  from  the  same  cause,  un- 
cleanliness,   under  but  slightly   varying  conditions. 

One  of  the  most  fearful  evils  in  existence  to-day  is  the 
presence  in  every  large  city  and  in  many  smaller  ones,  of  un- 
scrupulous quacks  who  pose  as  physicians  and  prey  upon  the 
morbid  sensibilities  of  uninstructed  young  men.  It  is  the  busi- 
ness of  these  human  vultures  to  persuade  young  men  that  they  arc 
afflicted  with  disease  when  no  such  condition  exists.  Nearly 
every  newspaper  in  the  country   is  filled  with   the  artfully 

(7) 


worded  advertisements  of  these  unconscionable  scoundrels. 
Professor  Windsor  has  learned  byactual  professional  experience 
that  nearly  fifty  per  cent  of  the  young  men  he  addresses  in 
lectures  on  these  subjects  are  in  some  form  the  victims  of  this 
kind  of  quackery. 

The  crime  of  abortion  is  frightfully  on  the  increase,  and 
will  continue  to  disgrace  society  and  the  practice  of  the  med- 
ical profession  until  greater  intelligence  prevails. 

Men  will  not  restrain  their  passions  while  the  government 
fosters  conditions  which  inflame  and  brutalize  them.  As  long 
as  money  rules  the  world,  intemperance  will  abound  and 
women  will  be  sacrificed  to  prostitution.  There  is  no  hope  for 
a  better  condition  of  affairs  uutil  intelligence  concerning  the 
proper  use  of  the  sexual  powers  is  widely  disseminated. 

With  the  earnest  hope  of  teaching  some  men  and  women 
the  true  road  to  happiness,  these  pamphlets  were  first  issued, 
and  the  last  edition  is  sent  forth  in  the  same  spirit.  Each  one 
of  the  series  is  aimed  at  some  great  evil  in  society,  and  while 
it  condemns  the  wrong  it  teaches  the  right  way. 

Just  a  word  in  regard  to  the  price.  Under  existing  condi- 
tions in  society  everything  is  measured  in  money  values. 
These  pamphets  are  sold  at  ten  dollars  each  because  they  are 
worth  it.  The  law  of  supply  and  demand  must  regulate  here 
as  elsewhere.  No.  1  contains  information  which  can  be  turned 
to  practical  account  by  any  stock  raiser  to  the  extent  of  hun- 
dreds of  dollars  per  annum.  No.  2  is  a  godsend  to  the  young 
men  of  the  country  and  saves  thousands  of  dollars  from  the 
rapacious  pockets  of  the  quacks,  besides  giving  peace  of  mind 
and  happiness  to  hundreds  of  young  men  who  have  been  tor- 
tured with  self-created  fears.  No.  3  is  invaluable  to  every 
married  man  and  woman  who  believes  in  cleanliness  and  who 
wishes  to  preserve  good  health  and  to  transmit  it  unimpaired 
to  offspring.  No.  4  is  probably  the  most  popular  of  the  series, 
and  gives  instruction  which  has  brought  happiness  into  many 
an  otherwise  clouded  home,  prevented  hundreds  of  divorces 
and  cured,  without  medicines  or  expense,  embarrassments 
which  have  baffled  the  best  of  physicians  and  which  were  re- 
garded as  the  results  of  disease,  until  this  invaluable  informa- 
tion showed  that  they  were  simply  the  fruits  of  ignorance. 
No.  5  will  teach  you  how  to  preserve  your  domestic  happiness 
after  you  have  obtained  it. 

If  you  wish  to  be  happy  become  well  informed.  Learn  the 
truth  and  "the  truth  shall  make  you  free." 

8) 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 


No.  1. 

PERFECT    OFFSPRING. 

HOW  THEY  MAY  BE  CREATED,  AND  THE 
REGULATION  OF  SEX. 

»A  short  treatise  on  pregnancy,  showing  the  conditions 
which  cause  perfection  or  degeneracy  in  offspring.  How  great- 
ness is  transmitted,  the  law  of  inheritance  from  father  and 
mother  and  the  causes  which  produce  idiots,  paupers  and 
criminals.  The  information  is  condensed  into  a  few  pages  of 
short,  terse  rules  which  anyone  can  commit  to  memory,  and 
when  followed  the  results  are  sure  to  hring  the  greatest  hap- 
piness to  prospective  parents. 

This  pamphlet  teaches  the  enormity  of  the  crime  of  abor- 
tion, and  is  designed  to  awaken  the  public  conscience  in  a 
matter  which  is  threatening  the  very  life  of  the  nation.  It 
clearly  shows  that  this  crime,  like  all  others,  grows  out  of 
ignorance,  and  is  all  the  more  to  be  deplored  because  it  is 
wholly  unnecessary- 
It  also  gives  full  instructions  for  regulating  the  sex  of 
offspring,  enabling  parents  to  produce  a  son  or  daughter  at 
will.  The  same  principle  can  be  applied  to  animals  by  stock 
raisers,  and  full  and  complete  directions  are  given  for  the  vari- 
ous classes  of  animals,  together  with  valuable  suggestions  in 
the  application  of  the  doctrine  of  impressions  to  animals,  en- 
abling stock  raisers  to  produce  greater  speed  in  horses,  greater 
productiveness  in  cows,  sheep,  poultry,  etc..  etc. 

Parents  should  place  it  in  the  hands  of  marriageable 
daughters  at  least  one  year  before  marriage.  It  makes  the 
procreation  of  superb  offspring  a  possibility,  reducing  the 
number  of  idiots,  paupers,  criminals  and  invalids  caused  by 
ignorance  of  the  laws  of  Nature.  It  sheds  a  flood  of  light  on 
all  these  questions  of  such  vital  importance  to  women  in  par- 
ticular and  the  i*ace  at  large. 

PRICE,  TEN  DOLLARS. 
(9) 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 


No.  2. 

MANHOOD  RESTORED 

OR    THE 

CURE  OF  NERVOUS  WEAKNESS  WITHOUT* 
MEDICINES  OR  EXPENSE. 

The  object  of  this  pamphlet  is  to  place  in  the  hands  of 
every  young  man  who  may  be  suffering  from  the  effects  of 
early  indiscretions,  or  who  may  have  been  led  to  believe  that 
he  is  diseased  when  he  is  not,  a  simple,  clear  exposition  of  the 
truth. 

If  weakness  actually  exists,  the  proper  way  to  treat  it  is 
by  the  hygienic  method  and  not  by  stimulants  or  nauseating 
drugs. 

This  pamphlet  contains  a  clear  exposition  of  the  causes 
and  conditions  which  destroy  sexual  vigor.  It  exposes  a  great 
many  tricks  of  the  quacks,  by  which  they  extort  money  from 
their  victims.  It  explains  the  true  nature  and  causes  of  nerv- 
ous debility,  loss  of  memory,  involuntary  losses,  etc.,  and  gives 
simple  and  plain  directions  for  a  cure  without  medicines  or 
expense. 

The  efficacy  of  this  treatment  is  attested  by  hundreds  of 
grateful  patients  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  not  only  valu- 
able to  the  afflicted,  but  will  prove  a  priceless  boon  to  all  men 
and  women  of  every  age  and  condition.  Young  men  and 
women  suffering  from  Nervous  Prostration,  Impotency,  Loss 
of  Sleep,  Loss  of  Memory,  Depression  of  Spirits,  Varicocele 
and  all  kindred  difficulties,  will  find  in  this  instruction  the 
priceless  information  which  will  enable  them  to  restore  health 
and  become  useful  members  of  society  and  fit  candidates  for 
the  sacred  obligation  of  matrimony. 

PRICE,  TEN  DOLLARS. 
(10) 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 


No.  3. 

CONNUBIAL  CLEANLINESS 

OR    THE 

CAUSE  AND  CURE  OF  VENEREAL  DISEASES. 

The  alarming  prevalence  of  the  worst  forms  of  venereal 
diseases  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  concern  to  society.  The 
awful  effects  of  these  diseases  are  not  confined  to  the  un- 
happy violators  of  the  laws,  of  nature,  but  extend  "even  unto 
the  third  and  fourth  generation"  of  innocent  offspring.  Inno- 
cent men  and  women  are  often  contaminated  because  of  igno- 
rance of  the  conditions  of  contagion.  Diseases  of  this  nature 
are  frequently  originated  by  innocent  men  and  women  who 
are  ignorant  of  the  conditions  which  produce  disease. 

This  pamphlet  contains  clear  and  simple  directions  for  the 
production  of  the  highest  form  of  sanitary  conditions  in  the 
sexual  relations.  It  explains  the  origin  and  cause  of  conta- 
gious conditions  and  how  to  avoid  them. 

It  also  contains  the  best  and  most  effective  prescriptions 
for  the  cure  of  these  forms  of  disease. 

The  most  advanced  physicians  and  scientists  now  recognize 
the  fact  that  the  most  effective  treatment  for  these  unhappy 
conditions  consists  in  strict  attention  to  cleanliness  and  the 
renovation  of  the  tissues  of  the  body  by  hygienic  treatment. 
Drugs  and  mineral  poisons  are  worse  than  useless,  and  the 
evil  effects  of  mercury,  which  is  so  often  ignorantly  and  copi- 
ously administered,  are  worse  than  the  original  disease.  The 
treatment  recommended  in  this  pamphlet  contains  the  most 
valuable  features  of  the  methods  employed  at  the  famous 
Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas,  and  may  be  successfully  applied  at 
home,  without  inconvenience  or  expense. 

PRICE,  TEN  DOLLARS. 

(ID 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 


No.  4. 

HOW  TO  BE  HAPPY. 

A  TREATISE   ON    THE    EMBARRASSMENTS   OF 
WEDLOCK  AND  THEIR  REMOVAL. 

This  pamphlet  is  Professor  Windsor's  masterpiece,  and  has 
carried  more  happiness  to  more  persons  than  any  information 
which  has  ever  flowed  from  his  facile  and  courageous  pen. 
In  this  instruction  he  has  considered  the  act  of  copulation 
from  a  strictly  scientific  and  utilitarian  standpoint,  and  has 
shown  that  the  reason  why  so  many  people  are  unhappy  in  the 
marriage  relation  is  because  they  are  ignorant  and  unin- 
structed  in  the  performance  of  the  highest  of  life's  great  func- 
tions. 

If  reproduction  is  the  highest  privilege  of  mankind,  as  it 
surely  is,  then  certainly  as  much  attention  should  be  paid  to 
the  intelligent  study  of  the  act  of  reproduction  as  to  any  sub- 
ject within  the  intellectual  grasp  of  mankind.  Yet,  strange  to 
say,  this  pamphlet  is  the  only  book  ever  written  in  which  an 
attempt  has  been  successfully  made  to  explain  the  scientific 
conditions  underlying  the  physical  details. 

The  instruction  herein  given  is  based  upon  three  cardinal 
propositions,  to-wit: 

1.  That  reproduction  should  only  be  performed  by  those 
who  are  capable  of  producing  the  best  possible  offspring. 

2.  That  the  perfection  of  offspring  is  always  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  the  pleasure  experienced  by  the  parents  in  produc- 
ing it. 

3.  That  the  act  of  copulation  is  designed  not  only  for  the 
reproduction  of  offspring,  but  also  for  the  fortification  and  re- 
production of  the  powers  of  the  participants. 

Following  this  line  of  argument,  this  pamphlet  shows: 

(12) 


1.  The  conditions  essential  to  perfect  reproduction. 

2.  The  conditions  essential  to  the  highest  development  of 
enjoyment. 

3.  The  evils  attendant  upon  excessive,  unnatural  aud  im 
moral  uses  of  the  sexual  functions. 

4.  The  benefits  derived  from  the  correct  use  of  these  pow- 
ers in  the  perfection  of  offspring,  the  enjoyment  of  the  sexual 
relations  and  the  development  of  self-control. 

5.  The  full  explanation  of  Professor  Windsor's  extraor- 
dinary doctrine  that  by  the  proper  employment  of  the  sexual 
relations  every  organ  of  the  brain  ean  he  enlarged  and  strength- 
ened and  all  forms  of  diseases  ean  be  cured.  This  is  the  most 
startling  and  revolutionary  of  all  his  doctrines,  but  one  which 
is  demonstrably  true. 

This  pamphlet,  perhaps  more  than  any  of  the  scries,  con- 
tains information  of  priceless  rnlue—  information  absolutely  nec- 
essary to  all  who  would  obtain  happiness  in  the  marriage  re- 
lation, perfect  health  of  husband  and  wife,  mutual  enjoyment 
and  superb  offspring.  Every  young  man  or  woman  contem- 
plating matrimony,  all  married  persons  and  parents  who  have 
the  welfare  of  their  children  at  heart  must  obtain  this  knowl- 
edge. Thousands  of  homes  are  blasted  annually  through  sex- 
ual ignorance;  thousands  of  idiots,  paupers,  criminals  and  de- 
formities are  born  annually  through  violation  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  expounded  in  this  instruction.  Debilitated  wives  and 
mothers  endure  the  pains  of  martyrdom,  through  ignorance  of 
simple  facts  now  for  the  first  time  placed  within  reach.  Whole 
armies  of  young  men  are  driven  to  desperation  and  many  to 
insanity  and  suicide  through  Sexual  Diseases  resulting  from 
imprudence  and  ignorance  of  the  consequences  of  violating 
Nature's  Sexual  Laws. 

PRICE,  TEN  DOLLARS. 


i  13) 


Great  Secrets  of  Happiness. 


No.  5. 

THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  HARMONY 

APPLIED  TO  THE  SELECTION  OF 
SEXUAL  CONSORTS. 

This  pamphlet  contains  a  clear  exposition  of  the  laws  of 
nature  governing  the  selection  of  companions  for  life.  It 
shows  what  temperaments  are  adapted  to  each  other,  and 
what  are  discordant,  and  the  reason  why.  It  explains  the 
great  laws  of  electro-magnetic  affinity,  the  relation  of  the 
anatomical  temperaments  and  the  laws  of  chemical  affinity  as 
expressed  in  human  organization.  It  also  gives  directions  for 
the  detection  of  organic  sexual  weakness  in  either  sex  and 
the  signs  of  complete  manhood  and  womanhood.  It  is  the  de- 
sign of  this  pamphlet  to  instruct  every  young  man  and  woman 
in  the  principles  that  underlie  the  conditions  of  happiness  in 
the  marriage  relation,  so  that  no  mistake  will  be  made  in  the 
selection  of  a  companion  for  life.    It  shows: 

1.  How  to  judge  what  temperament  is  suitable  to  your 
own. 

2.  How  to  test  the  possibility  of  love  and  enjoyment  of 
companionship. 

3.  How  to  avoid  those  who  are  unfitted  for  matrimony 
by  disease  or  organic  incompleteness. 

4.  How  to  conduct  a  magnetic  courtship. 

5.  How  to  preserve  the  harmonies  when  they  have  been 
secured. 

6.  Causes  and  cure  of  jealousy. 

7.  The  true  philosophy  of  divorce,  showing  for  what  rea- 
sons and  how  a  marriage  should  be  terminated,  and  the  be- 
havior of  the  parties  after  divorce. 

PRICE,  TEN  DOLLARS. 

(14) 


HOW   TO   OBTAIN   PROFESSOR   WINDSOR'S 
GREAT  SECRETS   OF    HAPPINESS. 

The  confidential  nature  of  the  information  imparted  in 
these  pamphlets,  together  with  the  fact  that  they  represent 
the  accumulated  experience  of  a  life  devoted  to  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  subject,  which  has  cost  the  author  thousands  of 
dollars  as  well  as  almost  incredible  labor  and  self-sacrifice, 
precludes  the  possibility  of  a  general  and  indiscriminate  sale. 
The  information  is  of  such  a  character  that  it  will  not  be  de- 
manded except  by  those  who  are  sufficiently  advanced  to  rec- 
ognize its  importance,  and  the  author  does  not  care  to  place 
the  information  in  the  hands  of  those  who  will  abuse  it. 
Those  who  earnestly  desire  the  advancement,  of  the  human 
race  and  themselves,  will  be  willing  to  comply  with  the  condi- 
tions of  sale,  which  are  as  follows: 

Carefully  copy  the  following  obligation  of  non-disclosure, 
sign  it  and  forward,  with  the  price  of  the  pamphlet  desired, 
to  the  Windsor  &  Lewis  Publishing  Co.,  406  Maria  avenue, 
St.  Paul,  Minn.    Do  not  cut  or  mutilate  this  page. 


,18. 


In  consideration  of  receiving  Professor  Windsor's  Great 
Secrets  of  Happiness,  I  hereby  promise  not  to  reveal  the  same 
to  any  person,  under  any  circumstances,  except  as  hereinafter 
stated,  but  to  keep  the  said  pamphlets  for  my  own  personal 
use,  free  from  the  observation  of  others. 

This  pledge,  however,  permits  a  husband  or  wife  to  reveal 
the  said  information  to  the  consort,  aud  permits  parents  to 
instruct  their  children,  in  all  cases,  however,  previously  ex- 
acting a  promise  from  the  person  so  instructed  to  observe  the 
same  pledge.  It  does  not  extend  to  brothers,  sisters  or  other 
relatives,  or  to  business  partners,  or  to  any  person  not  spe- 
cifically allowed  as  above. 
Signed, 


On  receipt  of  the  above  pledge,  properly  signed  with  your 
name  and  address,  and  the  price  of  the  pamphlets  ordered  they 
will  be  sent  to  you  in  a  plain  envelope,  securely  sealed  from 
observation.  Be  sure  you  designate  the  pamphlets  you  desire. 
both  by  number  and  title,  so  there  will  be  no  mistake  in  filling 
your  order. 

(15) 


THE  INTERNATIONAL  COLLEGE  OF  SCIENCE 

(Incorporated   1897.) 
BOARD  OP  DIRECTORS, 

WILLIAM  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  PH.  D.;  T.  H    LEWIS. 
WM.  H.  GROSS. 

FACULTY. 

WILLIAM  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  PH.  D.,  President, 
Professor  of  Phrenology,  Anthropology.  Hypnotism  and  Social 

Science. 

T.  H.  LEWIS,  Vice  President, 

Professor  of  Archaeology,  Ethnology  and  Natural  History. 

L.  W.  ROBERTS, 

Professor  of  Astrology. 

FRANK  J.   JUNGEN, 

Professor  of  Phrenology,   Hygiene   and   Dietetics. 

ALFRED  B.  WESTRUP. 

Professor  of  Political  Economy. 

M.  M.  BURNHAM,  Secretary. 


BUSINESS  MANAGERS, 

THE  WINDSOR  &  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  CO., 
406  Maria  Ave.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 


This  college  is  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Minnesota,  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  courses  of  instruction 
under  competent,  teachers  in  all  branches  of  science,  by  new 
and  improved  methods,  especially  by  courses  of  lectures 
delivered  at  the  college  by  the  best  talent  obtainable,  and 
also  by  special  courses  of  lectures  and  instruction  delivered  in 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  by  missionaries  sent  out  by  the 
college  for  the  purpose.  With  this  college  as  a  center,  it  is 
proposed  to  inaugurate  a  complete  system  of  instruction,  which 
shall  extend  al  over  the  world,  by  the  organization  of  asso- 
ciations, classes  and  special  courses  of  lectures,  arranged  to 
cover  the  most  desirable  forms  of  instruction  upon  topics  of 
the  greatest  value. 

Correspondence  courses  of  instruction  in  such  branches 
as  admit  of  the  method  will  be  inaugurated,  by  means  of 
which  persons  in  any  part  of  the  world  may  obtain  the 
instruction  of  masters  of  the  various  subjects  at  minimum 
cost. 

Degrees,  emoluments  and  certificates  of  merit  are  con- 
ferred in  recognition  of  work  actually  accomplished  by 
students. 

For  further  particulars  address  the  business  managers, 
THE  WINDSOR  &  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  CO., 

406  Maria  Ave.,  St.  Paul.  Minn. 

(16) 


Forms  and   Prices  of  Phrenological   Ex= 

aminations,  Charts  and  Phrenographs 

Given  by  Professor  Windsor. 

i. 

An  Oral  Examination  consists  of  a  careful  measurement 
and  estimate  of  the  mental  and  physical  powers  of  the  appli- 
cant, by  the  examiner,  who  will  explain: 

1.  The  Physical  Condition  and  General  State  of  Health. 

2.  The  Mental  Development  and  Peculiarities  of  Char- 
acter. 

3.  Suggestions  as  to  Faults  and  how  to  correct  them, 
Talents  and  how  to  improve  them. 

4.  The  Best  Business,  Profession  or  Vocation  to  which 
the  applicant  is  adapted,  also  suggestions  of  desirable  studies 
to  be  pursued. 

In  the  case  of  children,  this  form  also  includes  advice  as 
to  Culture  (Physical  and  Mental),  and  the  best  methods  to  be 
pursued  in  government  and  discipline.  This  form  is  wholly 
verbal  and  does  not  include  any  written  memoranda.  Price, 
Two  Dollars  and  Fifty  Cents. 

II. 

A  Business  Chart  is  a  written  statement  upon  a  form 
prepared  for  the  purpose,  giving  all  the  above  information  in 
such  form  as  can  be  preserved  for  future  reference.  It  also 
contains  an  estimate  of  the  Temperament  and  Organic  Quality 
and  such  notes  and  explanations  of  technical  terms  as  will 
enable  the  applicant  to  understand  it  thoroughly  when  prop- 
erly studied.    The  Business  Chart  includes— 

1.  A  statement  of  the  characteristics  of  the  applicant,  his 
Faults  and  Virtues. 

2.  A  memoranda  of  his  Best  Business.  Profession  or  Vo- 
cation. 

3.  A  memoranda  of  Studies  Recommended. 

4.  Rules  for  the  development  of  all  the  Phrenological  Or- 
gans of  the  Brain  and  for  the  Preservation  of  Health,  care- 
fully marked  with  reference  to  the  culture  desirable  for  the 
person  examined.    Price,  Five  Dollars. 

(17) 


III. 

The  Complete  Phrenological  Chart  and  Written  De- 
lineation of  Character,  contains: 

1.  A  careful  estimate  of  the  Physiological  Condition,  Tem- 
perament, Organic  Quality  and  Phrenological  Development  of 
the  applicant. 

2.  An  analysis  of  his  Business  Capacity  and  Adaptability, 
with  full  directions  for  the  choice  of  a  Trade,  Profession  or 
Occupation. 

3.  A  complete  Physiological  and  Phrenological  Description 
of  the  person  adapted  to  the  applicant  for  Matrimony  or  Busi- 
ness Partnership. 

4.  Memoranda  of  Desirable  Studies  and  Branches  of  Edu- 
cation. 

5.  A  complete  Digest  of  Rules  for  the  development  of  all 
the  Phrenological  Organs  of  the  Brain,  and  Preservation  of 
Health,  carefully  marked  with  reference  to  the  Culture  desir- 
able  for  the  applicant.    Price,  Ten  Dollars. 

This  is  a  very  desirable  form  of  Examination  and  is  de- 
signed to  convey  all  the  necessary  information.  This  was  the 
most  complete  chart  given  previous  to  the  invention  of  the 
Phrenometer. 

The  foregoing  forms  are  estimative.  That  is  to  say,  the 
statements  contained  in  each  are  the  conclusions  drawn  from 
the  estimates  made  by  the  skillful  examiner,  whose  long  prac- 
tice enables  him  to  tell  with  great  accuracy,  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  the  character  from  the  inspection  of  the  head.  A 
strictly  scientific  and  mathematically  exact  result  may  be  ob- 
tained, however,  by  the  use  of  the  Phrenometer,  an  instru- 
ment invented  and  patented  by  Professor  Windsor.  By  the 
use  of  this  instrument,  the  exact  dimensions  of  the  head  are 
shown  upon  charts  prepared  for  the  purpose,  in  five  sections. 
The  results  attained  by  this  method  are  extremely  satisfactory. 
The  exact  development  of  the  head  in  all  its  parts  is  shown, 
enabling  the  examiner  to  perform  his  work  with  mathematical 
accuracy  and  revealing  for  the  first  time  to  the  applicant  the 
true  form  of  his  head.  The  strong  and  weak  developments  are 
shown  with  such  fidelity  to  nature  as  to  make  a  great  impres- 
sion upon  the  person  examined.  If  the  head  is  handsome  in 
outline  and  well  developed,  it  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  in- 
centives to  ambition  and  culture  to  see  it,  as  displayed  on  the 

(18) 


Phrettometer  charts.  If  there  is  any  weakness  or  deformity 
the  Phrenologist  immediately  suggests  the  remedy,  and 
teaches  how  to  overcome  it.  The  measurements  can  be  pre- 
served and  compared  with  those  taken  at  later  dates,  show- 
ing exactly  how  much  has  been  accomplished  in  the  Interval 
by  way  of  culture,  and  in  just  whal  direction  the  character  is 
developing. 

IV. 

A  Complete  Phrenological  Chart  and  Written  De- 
lineation of  Character,  with  Phrenometer  Measure- 
ments, includes  all  the  information  given  under  the  third  form, 
with  the  addition  of  the  Phrenometer  measurements  and  full 
explanations  in  an  attractive  form  to  be  preserved  for  future 
reference.    Price.  Fifteen  Dollars. 


V. 


A  Phrenograph  is  a  written  statement  of  special  advice, 
written  out  at  length  by  the  examiner,  or  copied  on  the  type- 
writer. A  Threnograph  usually  consists  of  about  one  thousand 
words,  which  may  be  extended  to  such,  length  as  the  exigencies 
of  the  case  require.  The  charges  for  Phreuographs  are  in  all 
cases  regulated  by  the  nature  of  the  case,  the  value  of  the 
information  imparted  and  the  number  of  words  required  to 
convey  the  meaning  of  the  examiner.  The  usual  charges  range 
from  FIVE  to  TEN  DOLLARS. 

It  is  desirable  that  everyone  who  can  afford  to  do  so  should 
take  a  Complete  Phrenological  Chart  and  Written  De- 
lineation of  Character  with  Phrenometer  Measure- 
ments, and  a  Phrenograph  relating  at  least  to  the  subjects  of 
Health,  Character,  Adaptation  in  Business  and  Matrimony, 
all  of  which  usually  cost  Twenty-five  Dollars.  This  enables 
the  examiner  to  discuss  every  subject  for  the  applicant  which 
is  of  the  highest  importance.  The  examination  and  Phreuo- 
graphs. however,  can  be  indefinitely  extended  to  the  profit  of 
the  applicant,  for  it  is  practically  impossible  to  exhaust  the 
subject. 

The  Best  Time  to  be  Examined  is  right  now.  Every  day 
that  you  postpone  your  examination  you  are  losing  the  bene- 

(19) 


fits  which  Phrenology  confers.  Mr.  W.  A.  Harris  of  Fort 
Worth,  Texas,  examined  by  Professor  Windsor  in  1890,  re- 
ported two  hundred  dollars  profit  in  two  days,  and  many  sim- 
ilar cases  could  be  mentioned. 

The  Best  Age  at  which  to  be  Examined  is  as  early  as 
possible.  Parents,  do  not  wait  until  your  children  develop  be- 
fore having  them  examined,  but  bring  them  to  the  Phrenologist 
and  learn  how  to  develop  them. 

The  younger  the  child,  the  greater  the  benefits  of  an  ex- 
amination. Remember  that  the  Phrenological  Examination  is 
purely  educational,  and  the  earlier  its  suggestions  are  applied 
the  better 


DISCOUNTS  TO  CLUBS. 

The  following  table  shows  the  discounts  made  to  clubs  of 
five  or  more  persons.  To  obain  these  prices,  in  all  cases  the 
list  of  names  must  be  made  up  and  money  paid  in  advance  to 
the  examiner.  Members  of  clubs  may  then  take  their  examina- 
tions at  their  convenience. 

Single        Club  of      Club  of    Club  of 
Examination.    Fire.  Ten.     Twenty- 

Oral  Examination  $2.50       $2.00       $2.00       $1.50 

Business  Chart  5.00         4.00         3.50         3.00 

Complete  Phren.  Chart  and 
Written  Delineation  of  Char- 
acter       10.00         8.00         7.50         7.00 

Complete  Phren.  Chart  and 
Written  Delineation  of  Char- 
acter, with  Phrenometer 
Measurements 15.00       12.50       11.00       10.00 

E^All  correspondence  upon  the  subject  of  Phrenological 
Examinations  should  be  addressed  to 

PROF.  WM.  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  Ph.  D., 

Care  Windsor  &  Lewis  Publishing  Co., 
406  Maria  Ave,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Marked  "Personal." 


(20) 


EXAMINATIONS  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS. 


Phrenological  examinations  can  be  made  from  photographs 
with  accuracy,  provided  the  photograph  is  a  correct  likeness, 
and  some  additional  information  can  be  supplied.  Owing  to 
obvious  difficulties,  absolute  correctness  cannot  be  guaranteed, 
but  the  results  are  sufficiently  valuable  to  justify  the  expedient 
wherever  it  is  impossible  to  submit  the  living  head. 

To  obtain  satisfactory  'results  the  photograph  should  bo 
cabinet  size,  and  should  show  the  form  of  the  head  and  face 
as  plainly  as  possible.  Very  little  can  be  told  from  a  photo- 
graph when  a  hat  is  worn,  or  when  the  personality  is  covered 
with  millinery,  wigs,  bangs,  uniforms,  etc.  etc. 

A  plaiu  photograph,  showing  a  three-quarter  view  of  the 
face,  is  best.  Front  views  and  profiles  are  valuable  for  some 
points  and  worthless  for  others.  When  it  is  possible,  a  three- 
quarter  view,  front  and  profile  may  all  be  submitted  with  good 
results. 

The  forms  of  examinations  and  charts  from  photographs 
and  prices  charged  for  the  service  are  the  same  as  for  the  liv- 
ing subject,  except  that  the  Phrenometer  measurements  can- 
not be  given  from  a  photograph,  and  an  oral  examination  can- 
not be  given  by  mail.  Forms  II  and  III  and  Phrenographs 
are  entirely  practicable  and  very  valuabe. 

Opinions  on  the  Adapation  in  Business.  Partnership  or 
Matrimony  are  given  at  the  following  rates:  Short  opinion, 
two  dollars;  elaborate  opinion,  ten  dollars.  (This  gives  all 
minute  points  requiring  usually  one  thousand  words.)  In  all 
cases  submit  photos  of  both  candidates. 

Persons  who  have  already  been  examined  by  me  and  who 
hold  certificates  for  Forms  II,  III  or  IV,  may  have  opinions 
on  Business  Partnership  or  Matrimony  at  one  dollar  for  short 
opinion,  and  five  dollars  for  the  elaborate  form, 

(21) 


INFORMATION  REQUIRED. 

Take  the  following  measure- 
ments of  the  head:  Pass  a  tape 
measure  around  the  circumfer- 
ence of  the  base  of  the  brain, 
passing  just  above  the  eyebrows 
and  just  above  the  ears.  This 
is  called  the  basilar  circumference. 
Also  measure  the  distance  from 
the  bottom  of  the  orifice  of  one 
ear  to  the  corresponding  point  of 

the  other,  over  the  top  of  the  head  at  the  highest  point.    This 

is  called  the  trans-coronal  measurement.    Then  copy  and  fill 

out  the  following  blank,  and  submit  with  the  photograph: 
c^Do  not  cut  or  mutilate  this  page. 

Name  of  original  of  photo 

Address 

Age Weight Height 

Sex Color  of  hair Color  of  eyes 

Basilar  circumference  of  head inches. 

Trans-coronal  measui'ement   inches. 

Circumference  of  chest,  lungs  empty inches. 

Circumference  of  chest,  lungs  filled inches. 

Condition  of  health 


Amount  of  education  received. 


Present  occupation   

Information  'most  especially  desired. 


Number  of  photographs  enclosed 

To  be  returned  to 

(Write  return  address  plainly.)        

Form  of  examination  requested 

Fee  enclosed,  $ Stamps  enclosed  for  return 

When  all  the  above  points  can  be  stated  it  is  desirable  that 
it  should  be  done.  When  it  is  impossible  to  do  so,  the  blanks 
may  be  filled  out  in  part,  and  I  will  in  all  cases  do  the  best  that 
can  be  done  with  information  at  hand.  Address  all  corre- 
spondence on  this  subject  to  s^  ,.<A 
PROF.  WILLIAM  WINDSOR,  LL.  B.,  Ph.  P.. 
Care  The  Windsor  &  Lewis  Publishing  Co., 

(22) 


406  Maria  Ave.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 


